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COPYRIGHT DKmSIT. 






































































r EVERY 
WOMAN’S 
LIBRARY 


EDITED BY 


MARGARET E. SANGSTER 
DR. EMMA E. WALKER 
HAMILTON W. MABIE 
&K and others 


BEAUTY & HEALTH 


DR. EMMA E. WALKER 

\ I 

Member of New York Academy of Medicine, Etc, 


THE UNIVERSITY SOCIETY INC 
NEW YORK 


























\ 


Copyright, 1904, by 
A. S. BARNES & CO. 


Copyright, 1910, by 
THE UNIVERSITY SOCIETY, INC. 


TRANSFERRED FROM 
COPYRIGHT OFFICE 

APR 8 1SJ3 





II, II 


PREFACE 


tJ 


tJ 

The author takes this opportunity to acknowl¬ 
edge the kindness of many friends who have 
rendered much assistance in the preparation of 
this little book. 

Many thanks are due to Dr. R. A. Sands, Dr. 
C. W. Cutler, Dr. Royal Whitman, Dr. J. C. 
Edgar, Dr. W. S. Bryant, Dr. E. E. Smith, Dr. 
C. W. Allen, Miss Ellery and Miss Park, for 
reviewing and criticising the chapters dealing 
with their specialties. Thanks are also due to 
the Curtis Publishing Company for the kindly 
loan of cuts and for permission to use extracts 
from “ Good Health Talks to Girls.” 

The author has not hesitated to borrow 
material from many of the best and latest 
authorities, and to them all she now presents her 
acknowledgments. 


5 












CONTENTS 


U 


tr 


XJ 


CHAPTER PAGE 


I. 

Deep Breathing 

ii 

II. 

Exercise for Healthy Girls 

33 

III. 

Sports . 

43 

IV. 

Poise. 

69 

V. 

The Fat Girl 

77 

VI. 

The Thin Girl 

89 

VII. 

Corrective Exercises 

104 

VIII. 

Exercises in Housework 

114 

IX. 

Massage or Passive Exercise 

121 

X. 

Care of the Skin . 

131 

XI. 

Complexion .... 

i37 

XII. 

Perspiration .... 

i55 

XIII. 

Constipation . 

165 

XIV. 

The Periodic Illness 

178' 

XV. 

Bathing. 

185 

XVI. 

Care of the Hair . 

204 


7 







8 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER 


PAGE 

XVII. 

Care of the Eyes, Nose, and 



Ears. 

219 

XVIII. 

Care of the Mouth and 



Teeth . 

232 

XIX. 

Care of the Hand and 



Foot. 

246 

XX. 

Clothing .... 

264 

XXL 

Digestion and Diet 

271 

XXII. 

Relaxation and Sleep 

279 

XXIII. 

Cheerfulness 

288 




XJ EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION XJ 


XJ 

The purpose of the author, a physician who 
has given much thought and study to her theme, 
and whose opportunities for practical knowl¬ 
edge have been extensive, is indicated in the 
comprehensive title of this book. Dr. Walker 
insists that beauty in women is to be obtained, 
heightened, and held for a lifetime, through the 
instrumentality of hygiene. Here is the fabled 
fountain of youth, an everyday modern reality. 

Not by cosmetics, or other artificial make¬ 
shifts, by the use of doubtful remedies, or by any 
means beneath the dignity of a self-respecting 
woman, can beauty be achieved. Speaking 
from a professional viewpoint, Dr. Walker ad¬ 
vocates the building of tissues, the control of 
nerves, and the symmetrical development of the 
body, through the agency of intelligent hygiene. 
She believes that every woman may have bright 
eyes, a clear skin, a. cool hand, a steady head, 
and possess to the full the charm of unbroken 
health, and a calm equipoise, if- she will but obey 
a few simple rules, and follow Nature’s laws 
with precision and forethought. 

Sleep, bathing, diet, exercise, the conservation 
of force, the prevention of waste, the restraint 


9 




IO 


EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION 


of hysterical emotion, and the cultivation of 
cheerfulness are among the topics Dr. Walker 
has ably treated. We are told how to have a 
beautiful hand, and a beautiful foot, how to care 
for every member of the body, and for the body 
as a whole. The directions are simple, wo¬ 
manly, and safe. No young girl who reads, 
marks, and inwardly digests this book will be¬ 
come vain thereby, but every girl who assimi¬ 
lates its teachings will be more wholesome, in¬ 
teresting, and attractive. Why part with the 
woman’s birthright of beauty through ignorance, 
when here is a sisterly hand held out to guide 
into its fair domains? 

This manual has been written with the direct 
purpose and deliberate intention to help Ameri¬ 
can women to a better understanding of their 
physical life and endowments. 

Various forms of nervous exhaustion and de¬ 
pression menace busy women. The home- 
daughter and the young girl at college, or earn¬ 
ing her living, alike need information that only a 
physician can give, on points that may affect the 
entire life. This book, at once popular and 
scientific, minute and delicate, appeals to all 
women and should win lasting favor. 

Margaret E. Sangster. 




CHAPTER ONE 


£T 


tr 


DEEP BREATHING 


Effects of deep breathing. Vedanta philosophy. Effects of seden¬ 
tary life. Symptoms of sluggish circulation. Walking. 
Longevity. Week-end holiday. Summer vacation. 

rr 

I T is always more helpful to build up than 
to criticise, and in the arrangement of this 
book the constructive part is placed first. 
For the most part the later chapters deal with 
the correction of defects. 

Of all constructive features of hygiene one 
of the most important is the simple matter of 
breathing. 

Would you like to hear how one of the pio¬ 
neer teachers of physical culture in this country 
gained her inspiration for this work? I have 
heard her story from the lips of a close friend. 

Her home was in a country village, where she 
taught school for her living. 

She belonged to a “ consumptive ” family. 
She had no thought of correct position or of 
deep breathing. Her back was weak, and her 




i2 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


lungs were weaker. She met with scorn any 
suggestions from her family to sit up straight. 

This young woman was under the constant 
care of a physician, and one day he told her that 
her case was hopeless; he didn’t want to take 
her money, for he could give her no further 
help. She could live for only a short time 
longer, at the best. Other physicians confirmed 
this opinion. 

The verdict irritated and aroused her. She 
made up her mind not to die. 

As she went back and forth to school every 
day, she was so weak that she could take but a 
few steps at a time without holding on to the 
fence for support. As she crawled along slowly, 
step by step, it came to her that deep breathing 
was her only resource. She made desperate 
efforts to straighten up and to take a deep 
breath. 

In telling her story, she says that no one 
knows the agony she suffered in making use of 
those poor, neglected muscles and contracted 
lungs. But the whole force of her being was 
roused, and she persevered. 

In two weeks there was a remarkable change. 
She could stand fairly straight, and her breath¬ 
ing was more nearly normal. 




DEEP BREATHING 


I 3 


That was many years ago. And this woman, 
who had been given up to die by her physician, 
is now at the head of a large school for physical 
culture in an Eastern city. She stands as a 
living example of the curative power of deep 
breathing. 

Breath is indeed life itself. 

You are probably very weary of hearing so 
much about deep breathing. But have you ever 
faithfully tried it? If you have, you will realize 
so keenly the wonderful benefits that come from 
this practice that you will feel, as we always do 
when we have found a treasure, that you must 
share it with someone else. You never will feel 
this way until you have tried it faithfully enough 
to know what a wonderful help to your health 
and strength it is. 

t I have often felt at the end of a walk, during 
which I took deep breaths of fresh air into my 
lungs, that I could not go into the house. The 
effects of deep breathing upon the general feel¬ 
ing and well-being were so marked that it was 
as if I had been taking some tonic which I felt 
that I could not give up. 

Deep breathing will start your blood dancing 
vigorously through your veins. This will make 
you warm, and you will be astonished to hear 





i4 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


some sluggish companion complaining of the 
cold. 

It will take practice to make you a devotee of 
deep breathing, but when you have once become 
as it were addicted to the habit, you will never 
give it up, and you will wonder how you ever 
lived before. Deep breathing throws off a vast 
number of impurities, and it takes in life itself. 



Fig. i.—I mproves respiration. 


It adds buoyancy to your spirits and makes you 
feel that you can overcome mountains of ob¬ 
stacles. Until you try it, you will never know 
how much it will add to your beauty. 

I have been interested for some time in col¬ 
lecting various articles on this subject. These 









DEEP BREATHING 


15 


clippings have been taken from various sources, 
professional and popular. It has simply aston¬ 
ished me, in looking over this collection of years, 
to find the immense amount of material that has 
been written on this subject from many stand¬ 
points. 

One writer would have one object in view, 
and another a different one. The lessons they 
teach are all so true, yet each one differs from 
the other, with varying shades, but at the same 
time all embrace the one essential truth—the 
great benefit which always comes from deep 
breathing. 

A woman of many interests—indeed she is a 
noted writer—is to a certain extent a student of 
occultism, which has become a subject of such 
general interest since the Swamis, those masters 
<bi the Vedanta Philosophy, came among us. 
She says: 

“ I combine the occult principle with deep 
breathing, night and morning, inhaling with the 
pure air all of those beautiful qualities of love, 
health, wisdom, usefulness, and power for good, 
cheerfulness, and opulence,—these seven covering 
the whole ground of my desires,—filling the chest 
and abdomen fully. In exhaling I get rid of all 
the opposite qualities, which would do me an 




16 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


injury, such as, prejudice, weakness, folly, pov¬ 
erty, etc. I rise on my toes while breathing in, 
inhaling slowly, desiring with all of my concen¬ 
trated power all good to come to me. I also 
declare myself for beauty and symmetry in every¬ 
thing, physical, mental, and moral. My mind 
being in this attitude I must acquire that which 
I reach out for. 

“ In the same way I repel all that is unbeau¬ 
tiful in mind, heart, and spirit, as well as in 
body. In all of the different postures which I 
take, either in the early morning or during the 
day, I carry out these same impressions that I 
am inhaling the best and getting rid of the least 
desirable qualities.” 

A most interesting article that has recently 
appeared in one of our medical journals speaks 
very clearly of the various remarkable effects 
that the breathing of fresh air has upon the or¬ 
ganism. 

We all know that girls who lead a sedentary 
life, whatever their occupation may be, breathe 
very poorly and shallowly. Respiration is 
partly suspended, owing to a nervous preoccu¬ 
pation. 

The result of this is a scanty supply of oxygen 
to the brain, and this condition gradually leads 




DEEP BREATHING 


i7 


to neurasthenia. All who lead an indoor life 
belong to this class. 

The girls who are devoted to society are al- 



Fig. 2.—Shoulder-raising for developing the lungs. 

most invariably poor breathers. They become 
mentally excitable and physically weak. 

An extreme emotion, such as anger or worry, 










18 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


affects the respiration; it becomes shallow, with 
consequent brain excitability, and weakened 
physical endurance. If you are depressed or 
nervously unbalanced, you may be certain that 
there is an insufficient and irregular supply of 
oxygen to the nerve centers. 

In cases of extreme nervousness, where there 
is no organic trouble, the best remedy consists 
in two periods each day of vigorous physical 
exercise which will supply so much fresh air that 
the blood will become properly oxygenated. 
The energy that this oxygen supplies to the 
entire body finally brings quietness to the brain, 
and a full return of power to the body. It pro¬ 
motes sleep and calms all of the nerve centers. 

The dark circles under the eyes with or with¬ 
out puffiness, with which so many girls are 
troubled, indicate always a certain degree of 
passive congestion, that is, sluggishness of the 
circulation of the vessels of the brain. When 
these brain vessels are engorged, there can be no 
clear brain work. 

Depression of various functions is sure to fol¬ 
low. For the condition of sluggishness seen in 
so many young girls I know of nothing of more 
value than the inhalation of pure air. 




DEEP BREATHING 


*9 


WALKING 

A recent writer on the means for the prolon¬ 
gation of life, emphasizes very strongly the 
value of walking. 

He says that it is the most natural form of 
exercise. It acts not only directly upon the 
heart, but by the action of the muscles of the 
legs, more blood flows to them and all of the 
vessels carrying off the waste matter are thus 
made more active. 

The organs and tissues are all better nour¬ 
ished in this way. 

The entire circulation is greatly increased by 
the act of walking as well as by the more power¬ 
ful action of the heart. 

All of the abdominal organs share the im¬ 
proved state of circulation. 

The muscles themselves receive an extra 
supply of nutrition, and this method is one of the 
most effective and simple ones of counteracting 
the natural tendency to decay, for wasting of 
the muscles is one of the first signs of old age, 
and is one of the main causes of the loss of 
weight in old people. 

This writer goes on to say that the amount of 
walking necessary to maintain health varies 




20 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


widely in different persons and under different 
circumstances—from half an hour to two or 
three hours a day. 

Those girls who have fair health will gain 
more benefit from gentle up-hill exercise than 
from walking down-hill or on level ground. 

Bad weather should never offer an interrup¬ 
tion to walking. The daily walk should take 
place in all kinds of weather, cold or warm, 
rainy or sunny; almost anyone can become ac¬ 
customed to every state of the weather. In 
doing so, the tendency to rheumatism and 
catarrh from chills is either totally overcome, or 
at least much diminished. 

It is very difficult for microbes to find a lodg¬ 
ing place in those who are breathing fresh air 
continually. One of the first directions given 
to patients with beginning tuberculosis is to live 
an outdoor life. Indeed they are often advised 
to sleep in a tent. This element of the treat¬ 
ment seems to bring more success in this disease 
than any other. 

I remember being impressed by the sim¬ 
plicity of the treatment recommended for anae¬ 
mia by one of our greatest masters of med¬ 
icine: fresh air and sunshine, good food and 


iron. 




DEEP BREATHING 


21 


From chronic catarrh, too, it is said that a 
patient can “ walk away.” It has been observed 
by officers in the army that while on the march 
coughs and “ colds ” disappear, only to return 
after the soldiers take up life in the barracks 
again. 

An interesting explanation has been given of 
the old “ miracle ” of the King’s Touch for 
“ scrofula.” Although these patients were 
wretchedly fed and miserably dressed they were 
often obliged to walk several hundred miles, and 
this is said to account for the cures. To be 
sure, the king got all the credit, but I fear that 
from our modern point of view of hygiene we 
should not have cared to touch him with a ten- 
foot pole. 

The great General Moltke, when asked by 
what means he had maintained his health and 
activity, replied: “ By great moderation in all 
things; by regular outdoor exercise in all 
weathers, good and bad; never a whole day at 
home.” He was at that time in his ninetieth 
year. 

I cannot resist speaking a little further along 
the lines on which this brilliant author writes. 
He discusses the week-end holiday and the sum¬ 
mer holiday, emphasizing first the value of tak- 




22 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


ing a day once a week for more prolonged exer¬ 
cise—from four to six hours. 

If you live in the city it would be especially 
beneficial to take this day in the country, where 
you will get purer air and change of scene. 

The benefit of this long walk will be increased 
if you take only a very small quantity of food 
and fluid for the trip—a few biscuits, an apple 
or an orange. 

After you come home you will generally find, 
on weighing yourself, that you have lost several 
pounds. This loss consists almost wholly of 
water which has been passed off through the 
skin, the lungs, and the kidneys. In this way 
more waste matter is gotten rid of and the 
slightly starved tissues are in condition to take 
up more new material. You will generally re¬ 
gain within two or three days the weight you 
lost. 

Martin Luther’s motto was “ Rast’ ich so rost’ 
ich.” (If I rest I rust.) Even without exercise, 
life in the open air increases the power of re¬ 
sistance. 

One of the great advantages of this tramp 
in the country is exposure to the open air; it 
strengthens the nervous system and the skin; the 
digestive system, and indeed the whole organism. 




DEEP BREATHING 


It makes you cheerful, it increases your resist¬ 
ance to the influences of the weather, and the 
tendency to chills and other morbid affections is 
decreased. This power of resistance is one of 
the great factors of longevity. 

To get the most out of your walk, see to it 
that your chest is high, the legs moving freely 
from the hips in a long, swinging step. The 
arms should hang easily, moving slightly, but 
not swinging. With head up, and inhaling long 
deep breaths you are in the best possible condi¬ 
tion for your tramp. A noted traveler is au¬ 
thority for the statement “ that the accomplished 
pedestrian is the only independent traveler.” 
As to the summer holiday, it is even more bene¬ 
ficial than the week-end exercise. It is well to 
take once or twice a year a walking or climbing 
trip of from three to four weeks in moun¬ 
tainous or hilly country, spending from three 
to six, or sometimes even eight hours in walk¬ 
ing or climbing nearly every day in the 
week. 

Such a trip absolutely makes one over. Every 
organ of the body is benefited. The power for 
mental work is increased; worry disappears. 
This same writer has observed that the hair of 
the head and beard which was commencing to 





24 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


turn gray, resumed more or less the original 
color after a climbing trip of this kind. 

Probably the greatest factor in the benefit 
that comes from these trips is the deep inspira¬ 
tions which are necessary in walking and 
climbing. People who desire long life should 
make a practice of taking forced respiratory 
exercises. 

Hill climbing is an exercise of endurance. 
Although it allows opportunity for great exer¬ 
tion, there is not the corresponding degree of 
fatigue. There is a rhythmical succession of 
exercise and rest in climbing. 

This exercise is splendid for the heart and the 
lungs, indeed, all of the vital organs are stimu¬ 
lated to extra exertion. 

Before you take a mountain trip it is well to 
make some preparation for it. You can easily 
do this by walking up and down an inclined 
board which a girl can arrange in the yard 
without any trouble. Or you can walk up and 
downstairs, or up and down low hills. 

It is better to begin gradually, and, as you try 
steeper hills, take fewer and shorter steps. Try 
first a gentle ascent, then increase until you can 
climb a steep hill with little trouble. Do not 
make any sudden change from a slow to a rapid 






DEEP BREATHING 


25 


walk. Your training must all be done gradu¬ 
ally. 

The best time in the day for a mountain climb 
is the early morning; then you can spend the 
afternoon quietly. In walking up a hill the 
feet should be turned out, while in walking 
down they should be parallel or turned slightly 
inward. The exercise in climbing a hill is 
much greater than in the descent, when the exer¬ 
tion is borne chiefly by certain of the knee 
muscles. 

Climbing develops the thighs and calves. It is 
fine for obesity, for it brings about rapid 
changes of materials in the body, the fat espe¬ 
cially being consumed. 

The skin and kidneys are stimulated to greater 
exertion, so that more waste material is thrown 

tfff. 

The lungs, too, do harder work and take in 
more oxygen. 

The heart pumps faster, and its muscles are 
strengthened. The general circulation is 
quickened and stimulated. 

Appropriate clothing should be worn. A 
short skirt is very necessary. The dress should 
be loose and of light weight and the waist of 
flannel. 




26 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


The shoes should be comfortable and easy 
with thick soles and broad, low heels. If the 
climb is to be long and hard, spikes or nails in 
the heels would be of great assistance. An al¬ 
penstock will also be very helpful. 

Hill climbing should never be undertaken 
when the health is delicate or the lungs weak, 
without the special advice of a physician. It 
may be of the greatest benefit, but it needs ex¬ 
pert supervision, for there is danger in case of a 
weak heart of its being over-exerted to the point 
of exhaustion. 

Great care should be exercised in regard to 
food and drink taken on a climbing expedition. 
Water should be taken only in moderate quanti¬ 
ties from time to time, and it should not be too 
cold. Be sure that it is pure. It may be made 
very refreshing by the addition of a little lemon 
juice or vinegar. The food should be nourish¬ 
ing and it is often convenient to take that which 
is concentrated in form. 

It is not necessary to go to a gymnasium to 
get the best effects of exercise. Gymnasiums 
are excellent in their place, but you must spend 
some unnecessary energy to attend one. In the 
first place you are obliged to go there; and there 
is the trouble of changing your clothing. Then 




DEEP BREATHING 


2 7 


again many girls have no opportunity of at¬ 
tending a gymnasium at all for one reason or 
another. 

But one thing we can all practice, which will 
benefit us, I feel certain, fully as much as a regu¬ 
lar gymnastic course—that is the systematic prac¬ 
tice of deep breathing. Indeed, it is now 
claimed by some authorities on the subject that 
all the good effects of exercise may be obtained 
through deep breathing alone. 

SUGGESTIONS FOR BREATHING EXERCISES 

Let me tell you exactly how to practice deep 
breathing. 

Stand as relaxed as possible, arms hanging at 
side, chest, neck, and head erect. Inhale slowly 
and deeply through the nose until the abdomen is 
distended. Continue to inhale until the breath 
is forced up into the apexes of the lungs. You 
will note that the abdomen is now contracted, 
and the chest raised far above normal posi¬ 
tion. 

Hold for a few seconds, letting the thought 
pass through the inside of the body ; now slowly 
exhale through the nose, lowering first the chest 
and then contracting the abdomen again. 
Three minutes of such breathing night and 




28 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


morning will prepare you for the day’s work, 
physically, mentally, and spiritually. 

The Hindu has a wonderful breathing exer¬ 
cise for quieting the nerves. It is called alter¬ 
nate breathing. 

Place the thumb on the left nostril, closing it; 
inhale slowly and deeply through the right nos¬ 
tril; with the lungs full, close the right nostril, 
leaving the left open and exhale through the 
left. Second, inhale through the left, the right 
being closed; exhale through right, with the left 
closed. 

In a few weeks a change will be noticeable. 
The breathing exercises should be practiced with 
the eyes closed for the best results. 

There is a very simple device which aids 
greatly in expanding the unused cells of the 
lungs. Inhale deeply through the nose, then 
expel the breath, slowly hissing it through the 
teeth. In this way the lips form a tiny aperture. 

The same effect can be obtained by holding a 
child’s whistle in the lips, or an empty spool, al¬ 
lowing the breath to pass out through the open¬ 
ing. The breath should pass out evenly, and 
necessarily will come slowly. 

The object of this method of expelling the 
breath is to expand the little used lung cells. 




DEEP BREATHING 


29 


The breath passes out so slowly that the volume 
of air which has been inhaled is virtually 
dammed back in the lungs, thus distending every 
tiny air cell. 

So do not be weary of the subject of deep 
breathing, but give it a fair trial. Begin your 
practice on your next walk. Take a slow, 
steady breath till the chest is quite full. Do 
not strain yourself in any way, nor try to fill the 
lungs to their utmost capacity. Simply take a 
good full breath. You will help yourself very 
much if you hold your neck against the back of 
your collar. Your shoulders will get along very 
well by themselves. 

Now exhale the breath slowly and quietly. 
When it is all out by this natural method, force 
out a little more, though do not carry this to 
the extreme. You will find that you will 
breathe more deeply at the next inhalation after 
this forced expiration. This is well worth re¬ 
membering. 

No amount of forced inspiration will give you 
the power of taking in air like a forced expira¬ 
tion. Do not, however, allow your return inspi¬ 
ration to be taken quickly. 

Take ten of these breaths, then breathe natu¬ 
rally for three or four minutes; then repeat the 




30 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


ten breaths. If you feel any dizziness from 
this breathing you have probably taken it too 
rigorously. 

The next time that you are in the open air 
breathe in this manner again. In a day or two 
increase the number taken by five. The total 
number of breaths for each day will thus in¬ 
crease rapidly. 

You will also find that by stopping every now 
and then while in the house, giving several 
minutes to deep breathing, being sure that the 
air is quite pure, that you will be very much re¬ 
freshed and more ready to resume your work, 
for your mind will be clearer. 

After two weeks of this faithful practice you 
will be rewarded by better chest muscles; your 
bust will be firmer and larger and your whole 
body will be invigorated. 

Deep breathing improves the brain circulation 
and thus affects the mind. It will frequently 
relieve a headache. It will fill out the flat chest. 
It sometimes decreases the size of the abdomen. 
It is an excellent factor in the cure of constipa¬ 
tion or “ biliousness.” For those who have 
weak lungs there is no one remedy of greater 
value than deep breathing. 

You can complete your work in deep breath- 




DEEP BREATHING 


3i 


ing by exercising on your back. This is most 
conveniently taken on getting up in the morning 
and going to bed at night. Clothing then 
forms no hindrance. 

Lie flat on your back on a blanket which is 
placed upon the floor. Inhale and exhale vigor¬ 
ously but slowly, ten times. Then rest for half 
a minute. 

Now as you inhale, raise the arms along the 
floor until they are extended straight above the 
head. Next, bring them back straight to the 
sides, expelling the breath at this time. 

Rest a minute more and then repeat the exer¬ 
cise ten times, raising the arms up into the air, 
dropping them on the floor back of the head, as 
in the first position of extension. Inhale slowly 
with the movement. Exhale as you bring the 
arms back to resting position. Note the effect 
of this exercise on the chest. 

A short period of practice in deep breathing 
will so expand the muscles over the diaphragm 
that you will never again allow yourself to sit or 
stand in any but an erect position. You will 
hunger for the effects of oxygen. 

Deep breathing does more than any other 
form of exercise for circulation, for respiration, 
and for digestion. 




32 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


Another useful movement is swinging the 
arms round the shoulder joint. 

Of course if there is any reason why the 
erect position is not convenient, the respiratory 
movements can be made by themselves in the 
horizontal or sitting position. 

But do not satisfy your conscience with a 
few minutes of these breathing exercises, but in¬ 
crease their number gradually each day, espe¬ 
cially while you are walking. 

If you sit a great deal and lead a sedentary 
life, thus not having the opportunity for the 
ordinary methods of exercise, they will be espe¬ 
cially valuable to you. An excellent time for 
getting in a set is just after your morning bath, 
when you have slipped on your flannels. 

Remember that we are now talking to healthy 
girls, and if there is any organic trouble, in this 
matter, as in all others, you should first seek the 
advice of a physician who can personally know 
your case. 




CHAPTER TWO 


EXERCISE FOR HEALTHY GIRLS 


Morning routine, breathing, bath, exercises. Exercises for two 
girls together. 


W HEN you wake, first get rid of all 
the residue of poisonous gases left 
in the unused corners of the lungs 
during the night. Of course the air in your 
room is pure because it has been well venti¬ 
lated all night long. But the lungs need their 
bath at the beginning of the day. 

Lie flat on your back, legs straight, feet un¬ 
crossed and arms relaxed. Take slow full 
breaths for three minutes. 

Follow this by a thorough kneading of the ab¬ 
domen in order to stimulate the circulation of 
the intestines. 

Now you are ready for your morning spray. 
After your bath, polish your skin with a Turk¬ 
ish towel as the shoeblack polishes his shoe. 

Slip on a kimona and take your morning run. 
This doesn’t mean that you must shake the house 


33 




34 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


or run around the room, for you can run in one 
spot. 

Spring lightly from the ball of the right foot 
to the ball of the left, throwing the feet back as 
in ordinary running. Accelerate the speed of 
this alternate motion. Begin with twenty-five 
steps, increasing each day until you reach one 
hundred or more without fatigue. 

After your run dress loosely and take your 
second lung bath. Use common sense, and do 
not get chilled. Do not allow yourself to feel 
hurried in this part of your exercise, and break¬ 
fast will taste better than ever before. 

During the day practice some good exercises 
to keep every part of the body in condition. 
Try to make some one hour convenient each 
day; persevere and do not give them up even 
once. 

There is a wide choice in the exercises which 
you may take, but a few suggestions may be 
helpful. 

Take good standing position, and then a posi¬ 
tion exercise; arms overhead, stretch upward in 
a long, elastic movement, then stretch arms out 
at the sides and down, at the same time reaching 
up and back strongly with the crown of the 
head. The chest will come up and the shoul- 




EXERCISE FOR HEALTHY GIRLS 35 


ders go down to proper position if it is done 
correctly. 

Follow by a poising exercise for a graceful 
carriage; a good one is to raise and lower the 
weight slowly and rhythmically on the toes; 
this will develop the calf of the leg, as well as 



the muscles of the back which keep the trunk 
and head erect. It will also make the ankle 
flexible, bring the body into poise, and quiet the 
nerves. Practice this with the eyes fixed on 









36 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


some point straight ahead; balance on one foot, 
and then on the other. 

Now strengthen the spine and increase circula¬ 
tion by the following: Stretch arms high over¬ 
head, bend gently forward and backward, 
breathing slowly through the nose. 

Lengthen your waist by reaching arms over¬ 
head, then bending to the floor, keeping the 
knees straight. The officers of the Austrian 
army, who are famous for their tapering waists, 
are said to do this exercise faithfully, repeating 
it many times each morning. 

Increase the number of times gradually from 
day to day. If you cannot touch the floor with 
knees straight, precede the exercise by this one: 

Sit on the floor, legs outstretched, spine and 
head erect, arms straight at the sides, resting 
hands on the floor, fingers pointing backward. 
Then without moving the body, lift first one 
foot, and then the other, several inches from the 
floor in alternate motion. This is a splendid 
exercise for keeping the spine and shoulders 
straight. 

Now it is time to relax. Lie flat on the floor, 
taking the position which you assumed on the 
bed, legs and arms outstretched. Inhale deeply 
and slowly, and as the breath is expelled, let 




EXERCISE FOR HEALTHY GIRLS 37 


every muscle and nerve relax to its utmost until 
you feel every part heavy upon the floor. 

Repeat this breathing exercise three times, 
then test the limbs, one by one, by raising each 
heavily from the floor, letting it drop down 



Fig 4.—Exercise for hip-joints. 


again. In the same way flop about until you feel 
thoroughly relaxed in every part. 

Now spring to your feet, and take the next 
exercise, one to keep your body supple and grace¬ 
ful. 

Stand on one foot, and raise the other knee to 
the chest, holding it there with hands clasped 









38 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


about it. Keep the back straight; stand in this 
position as long as possible. Then practice the 
exercise with the other knee. 

This might be followed by any one of sev¬ 
eral kicking movements. Try this one: Kick 
one foot as high as you can, and then the other, 
pretending that you are aiming at a ball with 
your toe. Here is an exercise for agility in high 
kicking: 

Stand in the doorway, and, resting a hand on 
each jamb of the door, swing the leg forward 
and backward as far as it will go. Practice this 
until tired. In resting, swing the arms rapidly, 
first alternately, and then together, both forward 
and backward, keeping the chest firm and well 
to the front. 

Before finishing, practice some torso move¬ 
ments. The theory of resistance in exercise is 
now used largely in modern methods. To illus¬ 
trate, try the following torso exercise: 

Stretch the arms front on a level with the 
shoulder, palms facing each other. Standing 
firmly on the feet, first twist the body by turning 
hips, shoulders, and head to the right as far as 
possible; move arms to the right at the same 
time, keeping right arm straight, and flexing the 
left at elbow toward the last; now, holding hips 




EXERCISE FOR HEALTHY GIRLS 39 


and head in this position at the extreme right, 
contract the arm muscles and move arms and 
shoulders to the left as far as possible. Next, 
twist the arms and shoulders to the right, at the 
same time twisting hips and head to the left. 
Repeat five times. 

A simple head and neck exercise is a fitting 
one with which to close your morning practice. 
Rotate the head slowly, keeping the face front, 
reversing the direction with each rotation. 

It may seem rather formidable to think of 
taking all of these exercises in one day, and they 
have not been given for that purpose, but merely 
to offer you a variety which will bring into play 
every part of the body. 

From these you may choose a few which ex¬ 
perience teaches you are most beneficial in your 
particular case. Any good exercise done with 
care is sure to bring you rich results. Persever¬ 
ance in exercise is your watchword. 

EXERCISES FOR TWO GIRLS TOGETHER 

If you can induce your intimate friend to 
take up the daily practice of physical exercise 
with you, map out a little series of resisting ex¬ 
ercises, one girl working against the other. Try 
a few of the following and see what fun it is. 




4 o BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


With your friend sitting on the floor, legs 
curled under her, grasp her hands, which are 
stretched up above the head, elbows straight. 
Try to keep her arms in this position, while she 
resists, trying to pull yours down to her shoulder 
level. When you have gradually allowed your 
hands to be drawn down to this point, reverse 
the resistance; try to pull her arms up, while 
she resists, keeping the hands only shoulder- 
high. 

Or lie flat upon a long table, arms extended 
over head, elbows straight, the hands grasping 
a short stick. Your friend, standing behind 
your head, will grasp the same stick, near the 
ends, and while you resist her action, she will 
bring the stick high overhead, and down till it 
rests across your thighs. Now, you in turn will 
bring the stick again to the first position back of 
the head, while she resists the movement. 

Sit upon a stool, and with your hands on your 
shoulders, and elbows shoulder-high, move as 
far forward as possible, keeping the back 
straight, moving only at the hips. The other 
girl will grasp your elbows firmly, and, as you 
try to return to erect position will resist to some 
extent by pressing forward on your elbows. 
Keep the arms rigid in this exercise. 




EXERCISE FOR HEALTHY GIRLS 41 


Your friend will now take the sitting position 
with hands clasped at the back of the neck, el¬ 
bows thrown back. As she bends forward as 
far as possible, place your hands across her shoul¬ 
der blades, with the fingers of each hand touch¬ 
ing. As she tries to resume the erect position, 
resist with a strong pressure on the shoulder 
blades. 

Again, in relatively the same positions, but 
with her hands resting upon her thighs, firmly 
grasp her shoulders, and, as she tries to come 
to erect position, twist the torso by turning the 
shoulders strongly in one direction, while she 
attempts to turn in the opposite direction. Prac¬ 
tice first to the right, and then to the left. 

With your hands on your thighs, push the 
shoulders up, then back and down in a circling 
mdtion. The other girl will place her hands 
on the tops of your shoulders, and press down 
as you push up, and forward as you press back, 
both of you relaxing as the shoulders come to 
normal position. 

Resist each other standing. Turn right shoul¬ 
ders toward each other, and with feet well 
braced, grasp right hands, one pulling, and the 
other pushing. Repeat with the left hands. 

Another taken in standing position is to cross 




42 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


the arms in front, and, grasping with both hands, 
resist in opposite directions. 

Of course the more evenly matched you are 
in strength, the better will be the exercise. 
Learn the form of the exercise first, and make 
the pressure even and light, increasing it as you 
grow accustomed to working together. You will 
get more fun out of this class of exercises than 
from any set which takes but one girl alone. 




CHAPTER THREE 


XJ 


XJ 


SPORTS 


Golf. Rowing. Canoeing. Lawn tennis. Swimming. Sid i 
saddle versus man’s saddle. The punching bag. Bowling. 
Skating. Hockey. Fencing. Basket-ball. Gardening. 

XJ 

WHY GOLF IS GOOD FOR GIRLS 

O UR English sisters can teach us a most 
valuable lesson—the benefit that 

comes from out-door exercise. When 
an English girl feels a little below par in body 
or mind she recognizes Nature’s signal, drops 
her/.work, and indulges in some vigorous out¬ 
door game. 

In this way she refreshes herself and comes 
back again in fine condition. But we American 
girls are not apt to show the same good judg¬ 
ment under such circumstances. We goad on 
the poor, tired brain and body until over-exer¬ 
tion is carried far; then we upbraid ourselves 
for being dull, while we follow just the course 
to make ourselves duller. 


43 




44 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


You will rarely see an English girl who takes 
less than two hours of out-door recreation daily. 
That is the great reason why she enjoys such 
glorious health and such a beautiful, clear com¬ 
plexion. 

Now, when you play golf, how will you be¬ 
gin? Will you ride or drive to the links, or 
will you walk? How many holes are you going 
to play, and what do you mean to do after the 
game? Naturally, all of these details will de¬ 
pend upon the girl, and upon her condition. 

If you are playing the first game of the season 
you cannot do what you will be able to accom¬ 
plish at your last game in October. If the links 
are not too far, walk. An average number of 
holes for one game is eighteen. However, as 
this may prove too exhausting for many, it is 
far better to begin moderately than to overdo. 
Indeed nine holes will make a very fair begin¬ 
ning. If you feel tired after the game, you 
would better ride home than walk. 

The game of golf is a marvelous test of nerve 
and temper. There is no other that is so 
likely to bring out characteristics that you never 
knew your best friend to possess before. You 
may find yourself exhibiting traits that you were 
not well acquainted with before you went on 




SPORTS 


45 


to the golf links. You must hold your muscles, 
nerves, and brain all under control; but patience,, 
courage, and self-mastery will bring their re¬ 
ward. 

Golf is better than medicine, and will make 
over the poor, tired body and fagged-out mind. 

There is an old saying that he who does not 
learn to play whist while he is young, lays up 
for himself a miserable old age. This is very 
applicable to golf. The physical exercise is in¬ 
valuable—especially the swing of the body about 
the hips. The movements of the arms and neck 
are all splendid developers. 

Every sluggish part of the body will be stirred 
up by a game of golf. One comes back from 
the links with a keen appetite, with the whole 
being in a glow from perfect circulation, and 
with every faculty at its best. If we played 
more golf, there would be far less suffering from 
nervous exhaustion, depression—otherwise “ the 
blues,”—“ biliousness,” indigestion, flat chests, 
shallow breathing, and rheumatism. I know a 
girl who is free from all her winter or “ city ” 
ailments during the long summer in the country. 
She believes that this is due to her devotion to 
golf, for she plays faithfully every day. 




46 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


WHY ROWING AND CANOEING ARE GOOD FOR 
GIRLS 

The chief test of the value of a general exer¬ 
cise is the number of muscles which it brings 
into play. Rowing meets this test perhaps better 
than any other sport. There is hardly a muscle 
in the body which does not play its part. 

The abdominal muscles are called upon in the 
forward swing, while in the backward pull the 
long back muscles are brought into use. The 
quick “ fisherman’s stroke ” will develop the 
biceps of your arms, while your long, steady 
pull, with feet well braced, makes your thighs 
hard and firm. 

Vary your stroke, and learn to pull against 
the elements, wind and tide, in all kinds of 
weather. 

Rowing gives a certain vigorous grace which 
is inimitable. The forward and backward swing 
form a pendulum-like movement which centers 
in the hips. And grace in walking you know is 
absolutely dependent upon a free play of the 
hips. 

The breath comes and goes in harmony with 
the motion. Note how the breath is held at the 
height of the exercise, as you are giving the 





SPORTS 


47 


pull: how you breathe in as you lean forward 
for the stretch; how you breathe out after the 
pull. 

Although so many muscles are brought into 
play, the exertion is well distributed, and so 
causes no great local fatigue. 

Rowing improves the carriage, making it 
graceful and erect. It arches the chest and 
makes it strong. It quickens the circulation and 



Fig. 5.—Rowing improves the carriage. 

increases the activity of the skin. It is fine for 
deep breathing, and so purifies the blood. 

For the girl who is too fat, it is excellent, for 
this extra tissue will be quickly used up. 

As in other exercises, rowing should be prop¬ 
erly done, or harm may result If you bend 
your head over, and crook your back, and con¬ 
tract your chest, your arms will do all of the 







48 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


work, and the other muscles will gain no bene¬ 
fit. It is a great mistake to think that the arms 
bear the brunt of this exercise. 

A good rower always sits well. If you can 
see the attitude of the rower before she begins 
her work, you can almost invariably foretell the 
kind of stroke that will follow. The back should 
always be held rigid, and the swing should come 
from the hips. 

The art of pulling evenly and equally with 
both hands is the result of long practice. The 
shoulders should be braced when the oar grasps 
the water. 

When you are rowing, you are breathing air 
that is absolutely free from dust, and the farther 
you go from the bank, the purer and more in¬ 
vigorating the air. You are giving your 
lungs a refreshing bath with every breath you 
draw. 

You should wear flannels whenever you row. 
The English are far more sensible than we in 
regard to their dress. 

Rowing should not be begun too young on 
account of the strain on the joints, and those 
with weak lungs and heart should be very cau¬ 
tious about indulging in this exercise. 

In the healthy girl, rowing will develop pres* 




SPORTS 


49 


ence of mind, endurance, alertness, grace, and 
pluck. 

CANOEING 

No one should canoe without first learning 
how to swim. The canoe, though very un¬ 
stable in the hands of a beginner, really is a 
life-boat, for when it capsizes, it will float and 
keep its crew above water. 

The position of the paddler, and the kind of 
paddle used, influence to a certain extent the 
muscles which take part. 

You may use either the double-bladed paddle, 
or that with one blade. With the former you 
get a double-sided motion, while with the latter 
you confine your exertions to one side of the boat 
at a time. 

Here again, with the double-bladed paddle 
com^s in the splendid side movement, or twist¬ 
ing of the trunk. This is most beneficial in its 
results, as it stimulates the internal organs very 
effectively as well as exercising various muscles. 

Paddling develops the upper back, the muscles 
of the arms and wrists, while even the legs share 
in the work in certain positions. 

The postures that you may take are various. 
You may sit flat in the canoe, which makes it 
quite stable. Or you may kneel on one knee, 




50 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


or both; or, if you wish to imitate the Indian 
athlete, you may stand. This last attitude is 
sometimes assumed in racing, but is always risky 
for a girl. Sitting is the most comfortable posi¬ 
tion, and is the common method when using the 
double-bladed paddle. But whatever attitude 
you assume, the back must remain erect. 

Little teaching is necessary for the motion of 
paddling, as it comes very naturally. The mus¬ 
cles of the abdomen are thoroughly exercised. 



Fig. 6 .—Motion for exercising the abdominal muscles. 


Indeed, they become very lame if the paddling 
is at all violent. The cramp in the wrist that 
you may feel at first will pass off after a few 
days’ practice, and there is no better exercise for 
the wrists than paddling. 





SPORTS 


5 * 


The canoe possesses several advantages over 
the rowboat. It is delightfully convenient for 
exploring country where the waters are not deep, 
for it may be used in the shallowest stream. 

An expert can paddle almost noiselessly, so 
that, for hunting, it is most valuable, and did 
you ever watch the birds from a canoe? For 
you can slip in upon them unawares, and you 
are always facing the point toward which you 
are moving. 

A few girls who spend the summer in Canada 
have become so expert with the canoe that they 
can “ shoot ” some of the rapids in the St. 
Lawrence. 

Paddling has most of the advantages of row¬ 
ing. The deliciously pure air that you enjoy 
in both rowing and paddling is one of the price- 
less ; features of aquatic pastimes. 

LAWN TENNIS 

Probably most girls go through with the same 
stages in tennis, and in the end make only 
fairly good players. This is due in some de¬ 
gree to deficient strength and to lack of physical 
training. But tennis is such an enjoyable game 
that most of us persevere in playing it, whether 
we become expert or not. Nor does it make any 





52 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 

difference how many new games appear, for they 
cannot usurp its place. 

Tennis is a splendid exercise for both mind 
and body. To become a good tennis player one 
must begin right at the outset. The foundation 
must be correctly laid, or even practice will 
not make perfect. 

The successful stroke does not always consist 
in the force that is applied to a ball, as much as 
it does in the manner in which that force is ap¬ 
plied. The ball must be hit at the right time, 
and in the right way. The stroke must be timed 
correctly, and this depends entirely upon the 
eye. 

Unfortunately, this fine observation cannot be 
taught. Persistence will bring progressive im¬ 
provement, if you begin with a good style at 
first. 

Begin by driving a ball against a wall. All 
correct strokes are made by free and easy move¬ 
ments, which are bound to be graceful and nat¬ 
ural; so do not aim at grace or effect. Never 
hold your wrist or elbow stiff. 

The long, upward stretches that come into 
the playing of tennis are benefit enough, even 
if this were all the good it brought. However, 
every muscle of the body has its part to play in 




SPORTS 


53 


a vigorous game of tennis. The free swing of 
legs and arms brings grace and agility. The 
shoulder joints and the waist are made supple, 
and the sinews of the wrist are strengthened. 

Tennis offers splendid opportunity for deep 
breathing. It develops the muscles of the arms 
and legs, as well as those of the chest. 

The tennis costume should be convenient. 
The dress should be of light weight, and loose, 
while the weight of the clothing should hang 
from the shoulders. The sleeves should be 
loose, and the collar low. 

TETHER TENNIS 

Tether tennis is an agreeable change from 
the old-fashioned court tennis. It can be set 
up in the smallest yard, or at the seashore. Some- 
on^ was ingenious enough to tether the ball, so 
that j'ou never have to run after it. 

A round of tether tennis is almost as good as 
a Russian bath. There are few games that are 
its equal in this respect. The strokes have to be 
given in such rapid succession that the player 
soon becomes very much over-heated. 

This game is more appropriate for the cooler 
days than court tennis, especially when doubles 
are played. It requires great quickness of eye, 




54 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 

and agility; otherwise there is a good chance of 
being hit with the ball. 

You must be certain to wear your sweater 
when you play this game, because of the danger 
of getting chilled after perspiring. 

There are various advantages in this sport 
over old-fashioned tennis. Very little space 



Fig. 7.—A round of tether tennis. 


is necessary; an area of twenty feet square 
is quite sufficient; the balls do not have to be 
chased, and you do not have to waste precious 




SPORTS 


55 


minutes in looking for a lost ball. Neither does 
the umpire have the nice decisions to make that 
often come up in the older game. 

The expense of the game is far less than that 
of court tennis. There are no nets nor back 
stops to be provided. It is interesting, invigorat¬ 
ing, and rapid, and can be played by girls as 
well as by boys. It is on account of these various 
advantages deservedly popular. 

SWIMMING 

When swimming is indulged in under the 
right conditions, its benefits are many. Al¬ 
though nearly all of the muscles are brought 
into play, it is the large ones especially on which 
the work falls. The back muscles serve to keep 
the head above water, so it naturally follows 
that swimming is excellent training for a grace¬ 
ful and correct carriage. 

It is fine for straightening round shoulders; 
the muscles of both arms and legs come in for 
their share of work, but especially for the chest 
is swimming beneficial. These muscles are de¬ 
veloped, and the chest is broadened out, and 
put on the stretch by the extension of the spinal 
column. 

Here again, we have an exercise in which we 




56 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


are bound to breathe deeply, for more air than 
usual is taken into the lungs, which are ex¬ 
panded to their extreme limit. It follows that 
the circulation is stimulated and the whole body 
is invigorated and rejuvenated. All of the mus¬ 
cles used in breathing are put to the test, and 
I know of no other exercise that teaches such 
perfect control of breathing. 

Extra resistance must be met, for the pressure 
of the water on the chest is greater than the 
pressure of air. 

As in rowing, breathing should correspond to 
the movements in swimming. When the legs 
are extended the breath is expelled; when the 
legs are drawn in, the air is breathed into the 
lungs. Never hurry when you swim. Believe 
that the water will hold you up, and you will 
never get panic-stricken. 

If you do hurry, you will expend much effort 
for little advantage, and you will not reach your 
goal any quicker than if you follow a quiet, 
even stroke. 

One can learn to swim on the back as well as 
on the chest. Again, one can swim on either 
side. Swimming on the back is not so tiresome 
as chest swimming, neither is it so rapid. When 
one is swimming on the side the legs are exer- 




SPORTS 


57 


cised most, and this is the way to swim for speed. 
“ Dog paddling ” is an easy, rapid stroke much 
affected by boys. 

When you are tired and wish to rest, just 
turn on your back and float. This is the sim¬ 
plest lesson you can learn in the water. 

It is well to observe several cautions: 

Never swim directly before or after eating. 
Allow an hour and a half both before and after 
meals. 

Until you become an expert swimmer always 
swim toward the shore—never away from it. 

A short stay in the water is much better than 
a long one. 

Never try to swim when you are tired. 

Never stay in the water when you feel cold. 

After your bath take a little run on the beach 
before you dress. 

SIDE SADDLE VERSUS MAN^ SADDLE 

There has been vigorous discussion in recent 
years as to the best method of horseback riding 
for girls. Both the side saddle and the man’s 
saddle have their loyal advocates. Much has 
been written in support of each method, but, 
after considering very carefully the arguments 
on both sides, the weight of authority from vari- 




58 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


ous standpoints seems to favor the side sad¬ 
dle. 

There is no question but that from the aesthe¬ 
tic point of view the side saddle is preferable. 
As to the costume, however, the divided skirt, 
when seen from the side, can scarcely be told 
from the ordinary riding habit. 

Most girls prefer to ride a horse already 
trained, but even if a girl be devoted to this 
exercise for the pure love of the sport she may 
ride in the side saddle and still keep perfect 
control of a frisky horse. 

From the medical standpoint there are vari¬ 
ous strong arguments against the use of the 
man’s saddle by girls. It is claimed with good 
reason that considerable injury may be caused 
by this method of riding. 

The ideal method of horseback riding for 
girls seems to be the use of the side saddle, which 
is frequently changed from one side to the other. 
For continuous riding on the same side also has 
its serious disadvantages. It often causes irreg¬ 
ular development of the thigh muscles, espe¬ 
cially in girls who begin to ride when they are 
children. 

The open air element is invaluable in this 
sport. The lungs and heart are forced to do 




SPORTS 


59 


more work in a shorter time, and so deep breath¬ 
ing adds its benefits. The muscles of the thighs 
are well exercised by brisk horseback riding. 
The calves will be developed if the foot is 
pushed only a little way into the stirrup, and 
the body weight thrown thus on the soles and 
toes. 

Horseback riding is a most fascinating and 
health-giving sport. It is extremely exhilarat¬ 
ing, for by it the whole body is stirred up from 
its sluggishness. 

The whole ride is a constant pleasure—a 
great factor in bringing about favorable results 
in any exercise. 

THE PUNCHING BAG 

The problem of indoor exercise for girls is 
solved by the use of the punching bag, otherwise 
known as the striking bag. By the use of this 
apparatus every muscle in the body is brought 
into play. The thin girl grows plump from 
development of her muscles; and the stout girl 
grows thin because the extra fats are burned up 
and waste matter is quickly cast off. 

The form is greatly improved by the daily use 
of one of these bags. Lightness of foot, a springy 
step, and a graceful poise are developed even to 




6 o BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


a greater degree than by means of dancing les¬ 
sons. The weak trunk muscles are strengthened 
so that the amateur athlete holds herself straight 
with ease and comfort. The size of the waist 
and abdomen are reduced. 

I know of one girl whose neck was so thin 
that she could not wear a low-necked gown, but 
after six months of this exercise her neck muscles 
have developed charmingly. Another girl whose 
lungs were very delicate now has a splendid chest 
capacity as well as hard, firm muscles. 

Although this exercise is generally indulged 
in indoors, still you can so arrange as to have 
plenty of fresh, out-door air in the room, being 
careful not to get a chill when you are through 
exercising. The mental effect is exhilarating, 
for the girl must be constantly on the alert, and 
her mind must have complete control of her 
body. 

The object of all exercise as girls well know 
is to make the blood circulate freely, in order 
to give new life to all of the tissues and to carry 
off quickly all of the old waste material. Bag 
punching will accomplish this result as well as 
any other sport that I know. 

Devotion to this exercise will bring about a 
velvety complexion, or at least the complexion 




SPORTS 


61 

will come as near the ideal by the use of the 
punching bag if there is fresh air in your room as 
it can by any other means. 

Many cases of dyspepsia and “ the blues ” have 
been vanquished by the punching bag. 

You can see at once the various advantages of 
this exercise. You need no opponent and can 
play at any time by yourself. You depend only 
upon yourself for a game. You can play as fast 
as you choose. 

The motions come to you naturally; you need 
no instructor. You will not injure yourself in 
any way by the exercise. When you get tired, 
just stop and rest. 

The bag should hang about at a level with the 
shoulders, then you must needs strike straight 
out at that height. This stroke calls into play 
more muscles than any other. If you hit the bag 
a little above the center it will not rebound and 
your nose will thus be spared many a bruise. 

It is well to have a light flannel gymnasium 
suit and slip this on whenever you practice. 
You can choose your own kind of bag, as there 
is a great variety. You will need also a pair of 
light knuckle gloves. 




62 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


STROLLING CLUBS FOR GIRLS 

Now that the warm days are near at hand, 
“ Strolling Clubs ” will again become popular. 
Last fall this pastime was much enjoyed, particu¬ 
larly by the girls of Baltimore and Boston. 
And this was the plan: A party of girls, in 
number from four to ten, agreed upon some 
place, generally the home of a friend, as the ob¬ 
jective point for a stroll, and in the early after¬ 
noon walked several miles out into the coun¬ 
try. A light luncheon, prepared by the hostess 
or carried out by the girls, was served, and the 
party walked back again to the city in time for 
dinner. 

In some cases, especially if the distance were 
great, the walk was limited to going out, and 
the return made in the trolley-cars. Like every¬ 
thing else, the capacity for walking increases 
with practice. Do not be too ambitious at 
first, but begin with a short jaunt, then gradu¬ 
ally increase the distance till you can rival your 
English sister, who often thinks nothing of a 
twenty-mile “ stroll.” 

For the girls who are engaged during the day, 
and who cannot take the afternoon walk, there 
is another plan which has been tried with equal 




SPORTS 


63 


success. They take the walk after dinner in 
the cool of the evening. A light supper is served 
at the end of the jaunt, and the party returns 
home by trolley. 

Walking, under proper conditions, is one of 
the most valuable and attractive exercises, but 
the latter quality certainly often depends upon 
the associations at the time, for nothing is more 
stupid than the old-fashioned “ constitutional.” 

BOWLING 

Bowling is another vigorous game, and you 
must be careful in indulging in any exercise of 
this kind not to strain or overtire yourself. 
Be sure that you are in good physical condi¬ 
tion before undertaking any of these sports. 
Bowling brings in the twisting of the trunk, 
which when properly performed is so beneficial 
to the functions of the internal organs. 

SKATING 

Among the winter sports are skating, skeeing, 
coasting, and toboganning. The first two give 
practice in the delicate balancing of the body. 
Skating especially will cultivate grace. After 
skating is once learned it is supposed never to be 
forgotten. All of these exercises are especially 




64 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


advantageous in that they are taken in the open 
air when it is crisp and fresh. They all involve 
vigorous exercise. 

We hardly realize in this country what a de¬ 
light these pastimes are. It is almost like going 
to another world to read the fascinating descrip¬ 
tions of these sports among the people of the 
northern climes. In many of these countries the 
inhabitants virtually live on their skates when 
out of doors. 


HARE AND HOUNDS 

If a number of girls in your set are athletic in 
their tastes they will find a good deal of fun in a 
Hare and Hounds Club, when the weather 
grows cool. 

Have five or six on a side and choose a leader 
for the “ hares.” Practice daily and you will 
soon be able to cover long stretches of country 
in your run. 

HOCKEY 

Hockey is called the offspring of “ Our Lady 
of the Snows.” But this game is no longer 
confined to Canada. It is now played by many 
in the United States. At first, after you have 
played this for a short time, you will be quite 
stiff and sore—a proof that every muscle- has re- 




SPORTS 


6 5 


ceived its due exercise. Hockey is essentially a 
rapid game. It calls into play many and varied 
motions of the body as now you skate forward, 
then backward, then sidewise. The lungs are 
expanded; the leg and back muscles are devel¬ 
oped, and the trunk is turned and twisted so 
that the muscles of the neck, the sides, and other 
muscles of the torso are brought into play. 

Its mental effect too, is unexcelled. Hockey 
is an exciting and infatuating game, and girls 
should be careful not to go beyond their strength 
in playing it. 

FENCING 

Those of you who have the opportunity to 
study it, will hardly find a better all round 
exercise than fencing. For this sport some equip¬ 
ment is necessary; a girl should have a perfectly 
sound body to begin with, and be very sure that 
none of her organs are weak. Foils, masks, and 
a plastron are used, and an instructor is abso¬ 
lutely essential. Learn to fence with both hands, 
so that the forearm, calf and thigh are developed 
symmetrically on both sides. The results are 
wonderful. Three months of fencing prac¬ 
tice will give you a lighter step, grace of 
movement, and a more agile form. It trains- 




66 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


the eye, the hand, and the mind. Indeed I 
know of no better mental gymnastics than a 
bout with the foils. The exercise is vigorous 
and causes profuse perspiration, and if you are a 
little heavier in weight than you would like to 
be, swathe the hips and abdomen in flannel be¬ 
fore your practice hour, and note how quickly 
they are reduced. Begin with a thirty-minute 
lesson only, and gradually lengthen the time as 
your strength increases. Lie down for thirty 
minutes after each practice hour. Fencing is a 
fine art as well as an exercise, and one of the 
most fascinating of sports. 

HAND BALL 

Hand ball is a fine game for all round physical 
development. Every muscle of the body is exer¬ 
cised. It cultivates quickness and precision of 
the eye. The running and struggling which it 
involves are of great benefit to breathing. It is 
a most healthful and exhilarating exercise. 

One of its advantages is that it can be played 
alone. It is the national pastime of Ireland. 

BASKET BALL 

Although so many girls are devoted to the 
game of basket ball, it seems to me that it ranks 




SPORTS 


67 


with football rather than with girls’ sports. In 
playing this game one is apt to become so ex¬ 
cited that she forgets all care for herself or for 
others. I do not feel that the dangers of the 
game are compensated by any advantage that 
may come from it. 

Any girl w T ho has a weak heart should care¬ 
fully avoid all vigorous games unless she has 
the permission of her physician to indulge in 
them. 

GARDENING 

So many girls are desirous of getting rid of 
superfluous flesh that I wonder more of them do 
not try gardening. The same motions are in¬ 
volved in this pastime that come into many 
household duties, especially bed making. The 
girl who loves her garden is continually stoop¬ 
ing add rising again, motions most advantageous 
for the one who desires to lose weight. 

Coming close to Mother Earth is a blessing 
in itself. She loves her children and the closer 
they come to her the more freely she offers them 
beauty and health. 

Gardening is a fascinating pursuit, as you will 
find if you once take it up. Begin in a small 
way at first, but do it well and it will not be 
long before your boundaries will spread out. 




68 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


The joy of seeing the first bud and flower on 
your own plant that you have nourished is an 
exquisite pleasure. Not only does a beneficent 
physical effect come from this close contact with 
nature, but I do not know of anything that will 
give you such a restful peace of mind as gar¬ 
dening. 




CHAPTER FOUR 


U 


POISE 


The perfect form measurements. Correct standing position. 
Defects of carriage. Sitting position. School-room 
faults. Proper posture in rest and sleep. 


A BEAUTIFUL form has more power 
to charm than a beautiful face. But 
though Nature may have endowed you 
with a perfectly formed body, this will count 
for little unless you have elegance of poise and 
grace of carriage. 

But how can we tell how nearly our bodies 
approach perfection in their proportions ? 
Artists have accepted the Greek measurements 
as being those of the ideal figure. 

According to this model a woman’s height 
when fully attained should be five feet five inches. 
Her waist should measure twenty-seven inches; 
the bust under the arms thirty-four inches, over 
the arms forty-three inches; the circumference 
of the upper arms should be thirteen inches; the 
wrist six inches; the thigh should measure 
69 




70 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


twenty-five inches; the calf of the leg four¬ 
teen inches and a half; and the ankle eight 
inches. 

The weight of this ideal figure should be one 
hundred and thirty-eight pounds. 

An old English book says of the perfect 
woman that the height should be ten times the 
length of the face—from the root of the hair to 
the tip of the chin; or seven times the length of 
the head—from the top of the head to the tip of 
the chin. 

The face is divided into three parts; the first 
part lies between the root of the hair and the 
upper line of the eyebrows; the second part from 
the eyebrows to the bottom of the nose; the third 
from the nose to the tip of the chin. 

From the end of the middle finger to the wrist 
is the length of the face; from the wrist to the 
elbow, once and a half the length of the face; 
from the elbow to the shoulder joint two faces. 

The circumference of the waist should meas¬ 
ure the length of three heads; the length of each 
eye should measure the distance between the two 
eyes. 

Other measurements give the length of the 
body as six times the length of the foot; the arms 
three times the length of the head; the legs four 




POISE 


7i 


times this length. The width of the shoulders 
should be equal to the length of two heads. 

Control of the body as a whole is the ulti¬ 
mate aim of all physical training. Without 



Fig. 8.—The essentials of a good position. 

this there is no true culture of the body. Let 
us then study the subject of poise in its different 
aspects. 

First, in order to stand well, a center must be 







72 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


established and the natural center is the chest. 
Make the chest active by drawing it up to a 
high position and all other parts of the body will 
fall naturally into their proper relations to it. 

Take this position of the chest and notice how 
the abdomen is drawn in. This is an essential 
feature of good position, for the bane of so many 
girls is a prominent abdomen. This ugly posi¬ 
tion is absolutely unnecessary if only a little care 
is taken to draw it into proper line. This done, 
the weight of the body will be thrown forward 
onto the balls of the feet; a straight line may 
then be drawn through the shoulders, hips, and 
ankles. 

Be careful that the hips are not thrown too 
far back to over-arch the small of the back, for 
this is a weak position, but if the chest is made 
the true center this will not occur. 

Avoid other faults of carriage, such as ex¬ 
treme swinging of the arms when walking, or 
holding the head on one side; be careful about 
the position of the feet at all times. Do not 
allow one shoulder and hip to be raised by stand¬ 
ing on one foot. 

A simple but effective way of testing for cor¬ 
rect carriage is to pass the hand over the back, 
while the person being examined stands in a 




POISE 


73 


natural attitude. If the carriage is correct the 
ends of the shoulder blades cannot be felt, but if 
they are felt you may know that the carriage is 
not correct. 

You will be amazed to find how very few 
people can lay claim to a perfect carriage after 
this test, and the one who can is always noted 
for exceptional power, either mental or physical, 
but generally both. 

When you think that incorrect carriage means 
compression of the trunk and that the trunk is 
really a box containing the vital organs,—the 
lungs, the heart, the stomach, the liver, and the 
bowels,—any distortion of this part of the body 
means a direct effect upon the vital functions. 

In a sitting position but one rule is necessary; 
draw the crown of the head up and back, and 
maintain this high position at all times. Do not 
allow yourself to lounge in a chair. If you are 
too fatigued to sit straight, lie down until you 
are rested, but never allow yourself to flop, and 
above all never sit on one foot. 

The schoolroom is apt to be the starting point 
for bad position in sitting. It is such a tempta¬ 
tion to lean the head on the hand, so depressing 
one shoulder—to bend the head forward and to 
stoop at the shoulders, and at the waist. Al- 




74 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


ways lean forward from the hips and not from 
the waist. 

Sit on the whole seat of the chair and not on 
the edge. When you read do not bend the head 
over to see the print, but raise the book until you 
can see it with ease. 

Girls do not need to indulge in violent ath¬ 
letics to cultivate symmetrical bodies. If you keep 
wrong postures from fourteen to sixteen hours 



Fig. 9.—When you read do not bend over. 


every day, how can you hope to overcome their 
bad effects by ten, twenty, or even thirty minutes 
exercise every morning? 

The exercise is but a means to an end. It is 
to train the body into good position; then see 







POISE 


75 


to it that this is maintained throughout the 
day. 

Much of the ill health of girls comes from bad 
habits in the schoolroom. Postures are held 
which cause many asymmetries of form. The 
stooped over attitude cramps the chest so that 
little air is taken into the lungs; it also twists 
the spine so that a crooked back is the result, as 
well as elevated shoulders and prominent hips. 

Carrying books or any other weight always on 
the same arm leads to many distortions. In this 
way spinal curvature is often caused. If books 
must be carried, first one arm .should be used for 
this purpose, then the other. 

Now just a word about crossing your knees. 
This is a very bad habit. It throws the body out 
of plumb and causes pressure on the various large 
nerves and blood-vessels, so impeding circulation. 

After you are seated back in your chair the 
seat should be about three-fourths as deep as your 
thigh; if your chair is too high have a small foot¬ 
stool, for in the properly adjusted seat the feet 
rest easily upon the floor. 

The chair back should be curved slightly for¬ 
ward at the waist and backward at the shoulder 
blade points. 

Train your body to lie properly in rest and 





76 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


sleep. The most scientific position in sleeping 
is upon the right side, with the right arm be¬ 
hind, so that the lungs are not cramped. Flex 
the upper leg slightly. Use a firm, low pillow. 
In lying down for rest only, lie flat upon the 
back, legs straight, arms relaxed at side, head flat. 




u 


CHAPTER FIVE 


THE FAT GIRL 


Errors in diet. Proper food. Drinking at meals. Directions 
for reducing weight. “Anti-fat” remedies. Care 
of bowels. Reducing exercises. 


HE girl who is too fat is nearly always 



fond of sweets and dainties. Exercise 
and diet are the two chief lines along 


which she must work in order to reduce her 
superfluous flesh. 

Every pound of flesh beyond that which is 
necessary to make the form symmetrical is an 
additional weight to carry, a burden to overcome, 
and a hindrance to all normal functions. In 
other words it stands ready to destroy both health 
and beauty. 

If you notice this tendency when you are 
young, and especially if you know that it is 
hereditary, begin early to keep it down. Look 
first to your diet. It is not only the things 
which you eat, but it is often the amount that 
you eat which helps to produce this unfortu- 


77 




78 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


nate condition. I know a girl now whose form 
is most ungainly and it is growing more so every 
day. I believe that she hardly ever comes home 
from a trip down-town without bringing a box 
or two of candy. 

It is generally the calm and phlegmatic tem¬ 
perament, the girl who does not worry, who takes 
life easily, who indulges herself in frequent rests, 
as well as in all things good to eat, who is trou¬ 
bled with an excess of fat. 

Such foods as cakes and pastries, ices, creams, 
and candies, taken especially between meals, be¬ 
sides wines and other alcoholic beverages, are very 
productive of superfluous flesh. It is much easier 
to prevent this condition than it is to cure it. 

In general, sweets and starches, besides milk, 
creams, and desserts, should be, to a great extent, 
relinquished. There should be no between-meal 
indulgence. Breakfast cereals, with, of course, 
cream and sugar, must be abstained from. 
Many girls who are inclined to be over-plump 
really believe that their appetites are small. It 
is curious to note how often fleshy people will tell 
you this fact. 

The basis of the diet for obesity consists of lean 
meat and dry food, but no strict diet should be 
undertaken without the personal observation and 




THE FAT GIRL 


79 


direction of a physician, for there are often 
other indications which would not allow such a 
regimen to be followed wdth benefit. 

Fats should not be entirely cut off, because 
they are needed to a certain extent to aid diges¬ 
tion. 

It must be remembered that no cut-and-dried 
rules can be given for all cases of obesity. The 
individual must be considered in this regard, just 
as she is in every other branch of hygiene. You 
can soon tell by watching yourself carefully what 
special foods add to your own weight. 

As far as possible, according to many author¬ 
ities, you should abstain from taking much liquid, 
especially with meals. This holds true only in 
case that you are in otherwise good condition, for 
suqh diseases as gout and rheumatism require an 
increased quantity of fluid. 

One of our leading dietitians gives the follow¬ 
ing general directions: The girl who wishes to 
reduce her weight should avoid all kinds of soups, 
milk, cream, and alcoholic beverages. The little 
fluid that is taken should consist of plain or aer¬ 
ated water. As far as possible the food should 
be taken dry. Very juicy fruits and vegetables, 
such as watermelons and tomatoes, should not 
be eaten. 




So BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


A little butter may be taken, but aside from 
that, fats should be eschewed. Sugar should be 
forbidden. Starches should be cut down to as 
low a limit as possible. You may substitute 
gluten bread, if you wish, for wheat bread. Salts 
and the vegetables that grow above-ground— 
fresh green vegetables—are used. 

Various systems have been laid down by dif¬ 
ferent authorities for diet in obesity, but it is 
most unwise to follow out any one of these 
without the supervision of a competent physi¬ 
cian. 

Massage is often attended with good results 
in obesity. 

As to “ anti-fat ” remedies, they would better 
be let alone entirely. There are many quack 
nostrums which are popularly supposed to reduce 
flesh. Such preparations are thoroughly unscien¬ 
tific and many of them are positively dangerous. 
The only sensible treatment for obesity consists 
of diet and exercise. 

To sum up, then, the general directions for 
the girl who wishes to lose flesh: 

Do not sleep more than seven hours out of 
the twenty-four; learn to move more quickly; 
get out of bed instantly on waking in the morn¬ 
ing, take a brisk bath, first scrubbing yourself 




THE FAT GIRL 


81 


with a brush and then rubbing vigorously with a 
Turkish towel. 

Then take your running exercise. 

Many authorities advise the drinking of hot 
water half an hour before meals, upon rising in 
the morning, and before going to bed at night. 
Cold water, however, offers a far greater stimulus 
to the bowels, and this is a most important point 
in reducing flesh. The bowels must be kept in 
perfect condition. They must carry off the waste 
matter of the system so that the organs will not 
become clogged. 

Although I do not wish in this little volume to 
suggest any medicinal treatment, I am a firm be¬ 
liever in the efficacy of a good dose of castor oil 
at least once a month. It cleanses the intestines 
and carries off all waste matter. But you may 
say: “ My bowels move regularly every day— 
why should I take castor oil ? ” 

I have seen so many cases of just this kind 
which were in crying need of a dose of the oil 
that I can have little confidence in your good 
opinion of your bowels. Many a time have I 
seen cases of headache that had lasted off and on 
for several weeks, entirely disappear after this 
simple dose. 

If you dislike to take it, then have it fixed up 




82. BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


at the druggist’s, either.with lemon juice or sarsa¬ 
parilla,—you will scarcely notice it,—or you may 
take it in capsules. 

Especially for the fat girl is some daily vigor¬ 
ous exercise necessary which will cause perspira¬ 
tion. Walking, horseback riding, bag punching, 
tether tennis, fencing, all of these are excellent. 

A great secret of reducing flesh is “to keep 
moving.” Don’t stop often to rest yourself, but 
keep on going, and you will soon persuade the 
scales to tip at a more respectable figure than 
they have been doing of late. 

REDUCING EXERCISES 

Exercise has two effects upon the system: it 
increases the process of assimilation; it acceler¬ 
ates the process of dissimilation. 

In other words, if the stout girl exercises vig¬ 
orously, her excess of fat is oxidized or burned 
up and she becomes thinner. 

She loses the superfluous fat that was a draw¬ 
back to her body, while the thin girl, by exercise, 
puts herself into a condition of becoming better 
and more easily nourished. She assimilates her 
food and consequently becomes plumper, a condi¬ 
tion which she so greatly desires. 

To reduce the abdomen: 




THE FAT GIRL 


?3 

Lie flat on your back and slowly raise both 
legs to perpendicular position; then lower them 
slowly to the floor. This will make your ab¬ 
domen small and firm. Do not repeat this exer¬ 
cise many times in succession, as too many repe¬ 
titions might strain the back. 

Alternate it with the following, which is also 
strengthening to the muscles of the abdomen: 
Lie flat, and keeping the heels on the floor, rise to 
a sitting position, with the arms crossed over the 
chest or, if this is too difficult, begin by tossing 
the arms forward to give the body an impetus. 
When it becomes easily performed in both of 
these arm positions, increase its pull by clasping 
the hands at the back of the neck, thus coming to 
a sitting position. This sitting position should 
always be erect. 

Another is to be taken in standing position. 
Clasp the hands over the abdomen; contract the 
muscles of the abdomen suddenly, taking care not 
to lift the chest appreciably; let go as suddenly; 
repeat six times, and rest by taking three deep 
breaths. 

Another and similar exercise is to clasp hands 
in the same position; contract the muscles of the 
abdomen and bend at the hips six times, keeping 
the muscles well contracted throughout the bend- 




84 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


ing. Rest by taking three deep breaths between 
each exercise. 

To reduce the hips: Bring the knee up to the 
chest, remaining as nearly erect as possible. 
Practice in alternate motion. 

Another: Place hands on the hips; shoulders 



Fig. io.—A good reducing exercise for vigorous girls. 

well back. The leg is raised, with knee flexed. 
Then after a high, quick, side kick, bring the 
foot back again to the floor. This is to be re¬ 
peated several times. 

Hip circling can be done with good results in 







THE FAT GIRL 


85 


the way of decreasing size, if the principle of re¬ 
sistance is employed. Take standing position, 
hands on hips; rotate the hips, bending the knees 
and keeping the chest and shoulders immovable. 
Contract all of the muscles used in this exercise 
and resist. 

Sidewise stretch: Holding the body straight, 
support its weight by resting one hand on the 
floor with arm extended, the other point of 
support being the foot corresponding with the 
supporting hand. The other hand rests easily on 
the corresponding hip, while the other foot lies 
against the one on the floor. 

In other words, the body extended is supported 
by two points, the upper hand on the correspond¬ 
ing hip. In this position the body should be 
slowly raised and lowered several times; then 
the position should be reversed. The movement 
is felt strongly at the under hip. The muscles 
on the side and back are also exercised. This 
is quite a severe exercise, and will have to be 
worked up to gradually. 

Light, moderate exercise for a short period 
will have very little effect in reducing flesh. If 
you have allowed yourself to become awkward 
and heavy, it will take very serious attention on 
your part to reduce this superfluous fat. It is 





86 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


only through vigorous exercise and profuse per¬ 
spiration that this can be accomplished. 

An actress famous for her beauty, and now 
approaching middle life, has solved this important 
problem by swathing in flannel the over-devel¬ 
oped parts and throughout an hour’s vigorous 
exercise, drinking freely of hot water. These 
are legitimate aids in reducing flesh. 

Choose a few exercises and practice them faith¬ 
fully, constantly increasing the number of repe¬ 
titions and you will be rewarded by a return of 
symmetry and elegance of figure. 

To make the waist small and flexible try this 
exercise of body raising. Stretch out on top of 
a table face down. With the feet held, or caught 
at one end of the table, bend the body at the hips 
over the opposite end of the table. Now, with 
feet firmly held, hands at back of the neck, el¬ 
bows well back and head up, chin in, bring the 
torso to a horizontal position; bend downward 
toward the floor, then backward to horizontal 
position again; repeat three times. Do not prac¬ 
tice this exercise if you find that it strains the 
muscles of the back, as serious results may ensue 
without proper precautions. Always have an at¬ 
tendant when this exercise is taken. Do not take 
it alone. 




THE FAT GIRL 


87 


The waist will be much smaller when the 
trunk is uplifted and the internal organs held 
high in proper position than it is when they 
are allowed to sag. The wearing of cor¬ 
sets is not the way to reduce the waist natur¬ 
ally. 

Following a simple exercise will accomplish 
this within hygienic limits. Take standing posi¬ 
tion, slightly advancing the right foot; sway the 
body well forward, throwing the weight on to 
the forward foot; raise the arms upward, hold 
well back, at the same time inhaling the breath 
gently and slowly until, by the time the arms 
are fully extended upward, the lungs will be 
fully inflated. Hold this position for a moment, 
then exhale the breath quietly, allowing the arms 
to/ descend to their normal position, at the same 
time relaxing the muscles. 

To reduce the double chin: The various neck 
exercises are a wonderful help in reducing a 
double chin. Stretch the head first to one side 
as far as possible, and then to the other. Extend 
it backward as far as possible, first directly back, 
and then twisting the head at various angles. 
All of these movements put the flabby muscles 
of this part on the stretch, and help to tone them 
up. 




88 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


In order to reduce a fat, ugly back, practice 
with a broomstick, using it as a wand. Keep it 
always behind the back, raise and lower it, jump 
with it in your hands, twist and turn and swing 
it, always working with it behind you. 




CHAPTER SIX 


tr 


THE THIN GIRL 


Directions for increasing weight. Sleep, cheerfulness, care ofbowela, 
diet, massage, baths, relaxation. Development exercises, 
flat chest, deficient bust, weak waist muscles. 


tr 


T HE girl who is too thin is apt to be 
nervous, and, like Martha of old, 
“ anxious about many things.” She 
generally moves quickly, sleeps lightly, works 
hard from morning till night, often does a great 
deal of fretting. The reverse of the treatment 
for the fat girl is generally advisable for the 
thin. 

She should sleep eight or nine hours every 
night, go to bed early, get up leisurely in the 
morning at a comfortable hour; her bath, how¬ 
ever, may be as vigorous as she likes, and her 
running,—for this will get her blood into good 
circulation, and her organs in trim for doing their 
daily work. 

Directions for diet for the thin girl must also 
be hedged about by various “ ifs.” The first 
89 




90 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


step in directing the diet is to find out the cause 
of the extreme leanness. I know of nothing of 
small dimensions more annoying than to be sa¬ 
luted several times a day by: “ How are you now? 
Are you well ? Oh, I am glad, but you are look¬ 
ing so very thin.” Or, at the table: “ Do take 
some more of this,—it will do you good. You 
know you look like a greyhound.” Or, “ Well, 
I suppose it must be natural for you to be thin, 
but it is a pity that you can’t put on a few pounds 
of flesh.” 

You maybe thin because your diet is not proper. 
You may not masticate your food as thoroughly 
as you ought. You may be living in a boarding 
house where you are unable to get properly 
cooked food. Your digestion or your assimila¬ 
tion may be poor. You probably are overworked 
and nervous; that is nearly always the condition 
of the extremely thin girl. Or, there may, of 
course, be a diseased condition of some of the 
organs, especially those connected with nutrition. 

A warm climate is more favorable than a cold 
one for putting on flesh. No diet will accom¬ 
plish this end so longingly desired by the thin 
girl, if other conditions also are not favorable. 

You must not worry. You must take every 
day’s experiences more philosophically. Sleep 




THE THIN GIRL 


9i 


all that you can. If possibble, a half-hour’s rest 
midway between breakfast and luncheon, and 
again between luncheon and dinner, with a glass 
of hot milk, is most beneficial. Another glass of 
hot milk on going to bed is soothing and will 
make you sleep better. The milk should not be 
boiled, but should be so hot that it must be taken 
slowly, sip by sip. Unless you do so, the curds 
formed in the stomach will be too large to 
be easily digested. Do not touch tea or cof¬ 
fee. 

The thin girl must be as careful of her bowels 
as the fat girl. They must be kept in a healthy 
condition in order to properly assimilate food. It 
may be that you are eating a combination of 
foods that causes indigestion and flatulence. If 
S9, be careful that you are able to digest the 
starchy foods which form a part of your fattening 
diet. Sometimes you will be able to digest one 
kind of starch but not another. 

If your digestion is weak it may be a good plan 
to eat cereals or vegetables at one meal and meat 
at another. In this way foods that require dif¬ 
ferent lengths of time for digestion, and which 
involve to a certain extent different organs of 
digestion, will not clash with each other. 

Oatmeal is better digested without sugar. 




92 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


These girls can generally digest starches before 
they can sugars. 

To give you some general directions as to 
foods that are suitable for the thin girl: Cereals 
eaten freely are beneficial; all of the sweet and 
starchy fruits and vegetables, such as sweet and 
Irish potatoes, cooked bananas, beans, corn, and 
peas; fat meats and butter; syrup, preserved figs, 
and soups, especially cream and bisque, honey, 
and simple desserts. Nuts are very nutritious if 
you are able to digest them. Milk, cream, cocoa, 
and chocolate are fattening. 

Take plenty of time for your meals, and do not 
eat too great a variety at one time; see that your 
food is well cooked. Carefully avoid a large 
amount of green vegetables, acids, pickles, and 
condiments. 

I have found an excellent diet in general for a 
thin girl to be as follows: 

For breakfast a little fruit, cereal, and cream; 
toast, and a glass of milk. For lunch, bread and 
butter, and milk—plenty of it—a baked potato 
with salt and butter and stewed fruit. For 
dinner, an ordinary mixed diet, not too great a 
variety, with food well cooked. 

I know of a girl who was never able to lay on 
more than a few pounds of extra flesh. After 




THE THIN GIRL 


93 


about nine months of this diet she weighs fifteen 
pounds more than her average weight has been 
for years. 

Massage with liberal application of olive oil 
or cold cream is very beneficial in most cases of 
extreme leanness. 

Nothing is better for the thin girl than plenty 
of fresh air and sunshine. Breathe deeply and 
often, especially in the open air. 

Warm baths are good for the thin girl, though 
she should wear plenty of clothing so that she 
will never become chilled; she may take a cool 
rub afterwards. Cold is an enemy to the thin 
girl. The time spent in a sun bath will well 
repay her. 

Learn how to relax, both in action and in rest, 
because nervous tension is one of the banes of this 
condition. When you take your daily periods of 
rest, let down the tension of your muscles and 
nerves by some exercise: You will find it most 
restful to simply open and close the eyes slowly 
and drowsily, simulating sleep; stop thinking and 
yield to the soothing influence of the movement of 
the eyelids. Study the chapter on Rest and Sleep, 
and learn to relax every muscle of the body. 




94 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


DEVELOPMENT EXERCISES 

You cannot find anything which will more 
quickly develop the neck than the following re¬ 
sisting exercise: Lay the head in the palm of the 
hand at the temple; then move the head slowly 
toward the shoulder, resisting the movement with 
the force of the hand. Come back to erect posi¬ 
tion of the head in the same way, resisting the 
pressure of the hand by the head. Repeat this 
exercise to the left. 

Clasp hands back of head, and carry the head 
back, resisting with the hands. Take chin in 
hand and repeat the exercise in the opposite 
direction. 

If you will faithfully perform these different 
movements every night, not too vigorously, but 
with intelligence, you will find that at the end 
of three months the hollows at the base of the 
neck will have entirely disappeared, and the 
prominent bones in front will be smoothly cov¬ 
ered. 

Since this is a resistance exercise, it should be 
followed by a relaxing movement, making that 
of the head rotary, which also has a plumpening 
effect upon the neck. 

Let the head come slowly forward and down 




THE THIN GIRL 


95 


until the chin rests upon the chest. Now, keeping 
the face to the front, move the head to the back as 
far as it will go, to the left and front; reverse 
the movement, revolving the head several times. 

This may be done after one is in bed, as it 
has a very quieting effect upon the nerves, thus 
being an excellent preparation for sleep. 

Another method of filling in the scrawny out¬ 
lines of the neck is to take a deep breath, and 
then force the breath down into the neck, thus 
swelling out the neck. Or the muscles may be 
exercised by a rigid contraction of the jaw, often 
repeated. The first-named exercises, however, 
give better results in every way. 

Arm swinging develops the chest muscles, the 
same which are so quickly increased in size by 
swimming. There is no better way of increasing 
your bust measure than regular swimming prac¬ 
tice at the seashore. But, if you wish to take 
up some method which can be followed out at 
home, practice this resisting exercise: 

Different chest muscles may be reached by 
varying the position of the arms. For instance, 
push the heels of the hands together strongly 
at waist line from right to left, and reverse. 
Practice the same exercise breast high, and finally 
overhead. 




96 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


Whatever exercises will benefit a flat chest 
will also benefit a deficient bust. The most im¬ 
portant exercise in this respect is deep breathing. 

The exercises given for the development of the 
upper arm will develop the bust. In the mus¬ 



cular development of the arms girls are much 
inferior to boys. 

Nearly any boy can pull himself up by a bar 
till his chin touches his fists, but very few girls 
are able to accomplish this feat. There is such a 







THE THIN GIRL 


97 


close connection between the arms and the muscles 
of the front and back of the trunk that any 
exercise that develops the arms will also develop 
these upper trunk muscles. 

A splendid resistance exercise for the arms, 
back, and bust should be taken very slowly: 

With arms at side, inhale deeply, clench the 
fists, flex the elbows, bring fists to shoulder, 
moving the lower arm only, and resisting the 
movement partly. Now, with fists shoulder 
high and held there, bring elbows slowly out 
and up to shoulder level; the third part of the 
movement is to carry the fists close under the arm- 
pits and back as far as possible; cross the fists 
high up on the back, and then lower them easily 
to the sides. Every part of the exercise includes 
resistance. 

Lifting weights from the floor to enlarge the 
upper arm need not be done with an actual 
weight in the hands; in fact, it is much better 
for girls to control the resistance, regulating it 
according to their own individual strength, which 
varies from day to day. 

Take a long step forward, and bend to the 
floor with the hands touching the floor; take a 
deep breath, clench the fists, and pull the arms 
up, as if lifting a heavy weight; as you lift, 





gS BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


carry the weight of the body slowly to the 
back foot, flexing the back knee; keep the elbows 
high, and twist the fists until the palms are up, 
elbows back as far as possible; now forcibly ex¬ 



pel the breath, at the same time shooting the arms 
forward and down, bending again to the floor, 
every muscle relaxed. 

Repeat three times to the right, and three times 
to the left; follow by three deep, slow breaths. 





THE THIN GIRL 


99 


There is an important back muscle in the 
upper arm which is not reached by lifting 
weights. An eminent piano teacher recommends 
a movement for this muscle to increase facility 
in octave playing: Take position with arms 
front, shoulder high, the backs of the hands 
together. With a strong tension, contract all 
muscles vigorously; slowly twist the hands 
around, moving the forearm only; when you 
come to the point where the hands can go no 
further, pause a moment; then twist the entire 
arm as far as possible; come back to position in 
the same way, twisting first the forearm, and then 
the upper arm. Repeat till tired. 

To increase the size of the forearm, open and 
close the hand rapidly with tension, increas¬ 
ing the number of times daily. Also bend the 
wrist back and forth as far as it will go, being 
careful not to use too much vigor, as the wrist 
is delicate, and should not be strained. The ex¬ 
ercise of clenching and relaxing the fingers, given 
for development of the forearm, will also develop 
the strength of the hand. 

For the development of the calf and the thigh, 
nothing could be better than fencing, if taken 
both with the left and the right, to insure sym¬ 
metrical development. 




IOO BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


To develop the hips and the thighs: 

Lift the leg to one side as high as possible, keep¬ 
ing the knee straight, and instep on the stretch. 
This movement should all come from the hips. 
Lift the right leg ten times, then the left leg ten 
times. 

The second exercise for this purpose is the imi¬ 
tation of the pawing of a horse; the knee is 
brought upward, then downward, with a circular 
motion, the toe just touching the floor in the 
downward movement. This exercise is alter¬ 
nated, first with one leg, and then with the other. 
















THE THIN GIRL 


IOI 


ten times. Both of these exercises will make 
supple the ankle and knee as well as the hip. 

To strengthen the waist muscles: 

Girls suffer especially from weakness of the 
waist muscles. Various causes account for this 
condition—indoor living, lack of vigorous exer¬ 
cise, constant sitting, and the use of the corset 
are the chief reasons. 

The consequences of the weakness of these 
muscles are most important and alarming; many 
internal disorders are due to this defect; the 
pelvic organs, the kidneys, the liver, and the 
bowels, all suffer. 

A simple exercise to strengthen these waist 
muscles is to stand with the feet close together,. 













io2 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


bend slowly forward, without bending the knees, 
allowing the arms to hang downward toward the 
floor; after going down as far as possible, raise 
the body a few inches, and then allow it to drop 
again toward the floor. Finally, rise slowly to 
erect position. 

To develop the calf muscles nothing is better 
than hill climbing; walking upstairs is also good, 
if it is done correctly. A simple exercise for 
this purpose is to rise on tip-toe, holding this 
position a few seconds, then lowering the body 
again. Do this alternately, now with one foot, 
and then with the other, and finally with both. 

This not only develops the muscles of the calf, 
but also makes supple the ankles and feet. These 
poising exercises may be done while standing 
before your toilet table in the morning. 

Tension exercises are good, taken from one to 
two minutes several times a day. They consist in 
the contraction of all the muscles in the body 
while in a standing position. This tension of the 
muscles decreases the arterial pressure and in¬ 
creases the elimination of waste. These tension 
exercises are best practiced an hour before every 
meal. 

In practicing them, flex the different sets of 
muscles in succession, one set resisting another, 






THE THIN GIRL 


103 


then reverse. Take, for example, the muscles 
of the arms. Hook the fingers of one hand into 
those of the other, bring elbows shoulder-high 
and move to the right, resisting the movement, 
to a great extent, but not absolutely, with the 
other arm. Return with the same resistance, ex¬ 
erted by the other arm. 




CHAPTER SEVEN 


U 


CORRECTIVE EXERCISES 


Walking upstairs. Convent training. Shoulder raising for weak 
lungs. Uneven shoulders. Stimulation of abdominal 
organs. Nervous dizziness. Indigestion. 


u 

I F you are conscious that your carriage is 
defective, you will find it a fine exercise to 
carry a light object on the head. An 
ordinary bean bag is very convenient. 

First, take correct standing position; then 
walk about the house up and downstairs, hands 
on hips, carrying the bag on the head all the 
while. This will give you the correct position for 
stair climbing. 

When you walk upstairs, the back, neck, and 
head should be in a straight line; do not bend 
forward as you pass from step to step; place each 
foot flat on the stair, and take deep breaths as 
you slowly ascend. 

Walking downstairs may be made a very 
graceful act. Do not spring upon the steps, but 
bend the knees, dropping the weight of the body 


104 





CORRECTIVE EXERCISES 105 


from step to step with as little motion as possible. 
You will be surprised to find how quickly and 
easily your descent is made. 

A French writer of the eighteenth century tells 
of a convent in which the girls were taught good 
carriage by playing various games. In one, they 
carried a light object on the head while they 
marched, and if they let it drop a forfeit was 
demanded. Do not use anything heavy, for a 
light object is much better to call out the mus¬ 
cular activity by which the equilibrium of the 
vertical column and so of the head is maintained. 

If you are flat-chested, a useful exercise for 
filling the tops of the lungs with air is shoulder¬ 
raising. If the shoulders are even they should 
be raised together with energy as high as possible, 
then lowered gently in order not to jar the head. 
If the shoulders are uneven, practice raising the 
lower one till both are on a level. 

As you know tuberculosis or consumption gen¬ 
erally attacks the top or apex of the lungs first, 
and this exercise is most valuable in bringing 
the air into these parts, thus keeping them in 
condition to resist the inroads of disease to which 
they may be naturally susceptible to a greater or 
less degree. It is to the girl with weak lungs 
that we cannot recommend too strongly the value 




io6 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


of exercise. To her condition it is a vital neces¬ 
sity. 

Dressmakers complain that most girls have 
uneven shoulders, especially those who sit at a 
desk many hours in the day. The right shoulder 
is usually higher than the left. When you dis¬ 
cover that you have this defect, change your way 
of sitting at your desk. This simple exercise 
W’ill help you out: 

Extend the arm of the lower shoulder upward, 
the hand grasping a dumb-bell. Lower the arm 
on the other side, and with this hand support a 
heavy weight. 

Another simple exercise for this defect is to 
forcibly depress the higher shoulder many times 
a day. You can do this as you are sitting at your 
work. 

Uneven shoulders are a common as well as an 
ungainly defect. Girls often possess them with¬ 
out being in the least conscious of their existence. 
The dressmaker is often the first to call attention 
to them. Perfect shoulders play an important 
role in a beautiful physique. 

An excellent exercise which affects the more 
movable organs of the body is rolling back and 
forth upon the floor. It is well to practice this 
on a soft rug. 




CORRECTIVE EXERCISES 107 


First, lie flat on your back, fold your arms on 
your chest, and bend your knees slightly. Then 
roll the body over onto the side, resting on the 



Fig. 15.—An exercise to straighten bent shoulders. 

ankle, leg, side, arm, shoulder, and side of the 
head. Gently roll over to the other side, so that 
the body will describe a half circle. Repeat this 
movement slowly, gently, rhythmically. 

There is no special muscular action, but the 














io8 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


exercise acts more particularly on the circulation, 
causing a more even flow of blood through the 
body, and slightly changing the position of the 
internal movable organs. This exercise is used 
sometimes in cases of wind colic, due to collec¬ 
tions of gas. 

Another exercise to straighten bent shoulders, 
excellent for girls who have to sit a great deal, 
is performed by placing a wand across the back, 
letting it run out through the bent elbows, as 
you will see by the illustration. The arms are 
bent, so that the hands rest on the chest. 

Keep the arms and shoulders pressed back and 
down, and walk about the room for five or ten 
minutes. 

This will have a fine effect upon your carriage, 
in the meantime strengthening the muscles of the 
feet, back, and shoulders. For those of you who 
sit long hours in school, and find it difficult to sit 
and stand straight, this practice will be very 
helpful. 

For the special stimulation of the abdominal 
organs, an exercise of trunk bending is very bene¬ 
ficial. ■ 

Stand with your feet a little apart, arms ex¬ 
tended above your head. Then sweep forward 
with the body, extending the hands in which you 




CORRECTIVE EXERCISES 109 


may hold balls or dumb-bells as far back as 
possible between the calves. 

This is called the “ exercise of hewing.” It 
gives you very much the same effect as wood 



\ 

\ 



chopping, which, by the way, is an excellent 
exercise to take out in the back yard. 

A fine exercise for the abdominal muscles, and 
consequently for constipation, is as follows: 

Bend the body forward at the waist; theui 






no BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


move it to the left, back, and right, successively, 
before straightening it. Reverse the direction by 



moving first to the right, then back, and side¬ 
ways to the left. Do not raise the trunk to the 
erect position till the end of each set. 












CORRECTIVE EXERCISES 


hi 


Take all of these movements in a gentle man¬ 
ner. In this exercise a straight line drawn 
through the body describes the figure of a cone 
with its apex at the angle of the spinal column. 

Trunk rotation brings into play many of the 
muscles of the back and hips, the sloping muscles 
of the abdomen, and all of the muscles of the 
bowels. 

Their circulation is stirred up, and conse¬ 
quently all of the abdominal organs are excited 
to do their work in a vigorous manner. In slug¬ 
gishness of these parts, this exercise is effective 
in restoring the normal functions. 

A good time to practice it is just before going 
to bed at night and on getting up in the morning. 
In addition to this, the kneading exercise that was 
given under the section for healthy girls is ex¬ 
cellent for constipation. 

“Liver squeezer”: Take standing position, 
first stretch the right arm up as far as you can, 
reaching downward as far as possible with the 
left hand. You will unconsciously sway toward 
the left; alternate the movements, using your 
arms like a windmill. This is excellent for the 
muscles of the side, and for a torpid liver it is 
most effective. 

If you suffer from nervous dizziness, turn the 




112 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


trunk only on the hips, and describe a wide circle 
from left to right, then from right to left. This 
is somewhat similar to the exercise already given 
for circling the body about the hips. All of the 
muscles about the hips as well as those of the 



Fig. i 8. —An exercise for nervous dizziness. 

abdomen are exercised, and the whole digestive 
apparatus is stimulated. 

Its practice is very beneficial when there is in¬ 
activity in these parts. If you are troubled by 
nervous dizziness this exercise will help you, for 
by it you will get used to turning your head in 




CORRECTIVE EXERCISES 113 


a circle. If this is hard to do at first begin by 
performing it in a sitting position; you will then 
grow used to it by degrees. 

Exercise for indigestion: Combine the exer¬ 
cises of jumping and hewing; spring from stand¬ 
ing position into position with feet wide part; at 
the same time bring arms quickly overhead; now 
bend to the floor, bringing the arms between the 
knees; then with another spring bring the arms 
to the side and the feet together in first position. 
Repeat till tired. 

A common defect is curvature of the spine in 
a greater or less degree. However, in case of 
any defect of this kind no girl should ever try to 
apply an exercise to her own needs without the 
personal examination and advice of a specialist. 

The branch of medicine known as Orthopedics 
has for its object, primarily, the prevention and 
correction of children’s deformities. In a broader 
sense it includes patients of all ages. The re¬ 
cent advance in this department of medicine has 
been so rapid and so extensive that only those 
physicians who have paid special attention to it 
are truly fitted to give advice to those who have 
such defects as curvature of the spine, deformities 
of the feet, or any other trouble of like nature. 




CHAPTER EIGHT 


EXERCISES IN HOUSEWORK 


Bread-making a .good exercise. Hygienic working dress. Floor¬ 
scrubbing for elevating internal organs. Position at wash-tub. 


Height of ironing board. Floor-sweeping. 



HERE is no sphere in life where a girl 
needs to be so careful about the de¬ 
velopment of her figure as in house¬ 


work. One reason for this is because nearly 
all of the work that girls do in the house lies 
directly in front of them. 

It is such a temptation to stoop over to do most 
kinds of housework. Suppose you are paring 
apples, how easy it is to curve your back and 
shoulders, and when you get up you sometimes 
forget to straighten yourself out again. The next 
time you do it, it is so much easier to stoop a 
little further toward your lap; and so it is with 
everything that you do sitting down, especially 
with sewing. Be careful about such things, for 
if these bad habits are kept up for several years, 
your shoulders will be round, the blades will 




EXERCISES IN HOUSEWORK 115 


stand out like wings, and your head will protrude 
forward as if you were on the search for some¬ 
thing out of sight. This means that your chest 
will be flat and narrow, that your neck will be 
thin, that your breathing will be shallow, and 
your complexion consequently muddy; your bust 
will be undeveloped, and your abdomen and hips 
will be prominent. 

“ But,” you ask, “ how can I help it? ” You 
can help it, if you only try. Suppose you are the 
bread-maker for the family; take this work as a 
substitute for dumb-bells. Stand erect, throw 
your shoulders back, and during the whole time 
of the kneading take deep breaths in unison with 
the motions of your hands. 

Of course, you know what splendid arm mus¬ 
cles you will have after you have worked at the 
bread dough once or twice a week for six months. 
You will be ready for elbow sleeves next sum¬ 
mer. In order to be able to stand erect you 
must have the molding board at the proper 
height. 

The ideal way of doing your housework is to 
wear a special dress for this purpose. The most 
radical one that I can suggest consists of bloomers 
and a loose blouse waist made of flannel like a 
gymnasium suit. 




n6 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


If you have ever worked about the house in 
this garb, especially if you have to run down cel¬ 
lar or climb a ladder to hang a picture or pound 
in a nail, you will wonder how you have ever 
worked before in your ordinary gown. 

Next to this in comfort stands a light flannel 
suit with the same sort of blouse, and with a short 
skirt, instead of the bloomers. The collar should 
be loose and low, for it is only by giving your neck 
plenty of room for development and allowing it 
to come in contact with the air and light that a 
beautiful neck may be preserved or an ugly one 
improved. 

The tight, high collar is responsible for many 
aigly, scrawny necks as well as for the discolora¬ 
tion which so many girls are unhappy about. 
You must treat your neck as carefully as any 
other part of the body, if you wish it to be beau¬ 
tiful. Aside from making it scrawny, the un¬ 
hygienic dressing of the neck also accounts for 
many serious throat troubles. 

Corsets are entirely out of place with your 
housework gown, and so are your cast-off high- 
heeled slippers. 

Perhaps you are lucky enough to have some of 
the floor-scrubbing or wiping up to do. You do 
not always realize how you can turn nearly every 




EXERCISES IN HOUSEWORK 117 


part of housework into a fine physical exercise. 
Much has been said about elevating the vital 
organs. 

When you do the real old-fashioned scrubbing, 
getting down on your hands and knees, you are 
really taking one of the most scientific positions 
for raising your internal organs, but, you must 
remember to keep your back straight, your chest 
forward, and your abdomen drawn in. Then 
too, you must use your hands equally, first the 
left and then the right. This exercise will give 
your shoulders splendid development. 

The principle of using both sides equally,—of 
being ambidextrous,—is one of the most impor¬ 
tant to remember in housework. In sweeping, 
use both sides of the body equally; make one work 
as hard as the other; change the broom from side 
to side, for, if you limit yourself to one, soon a 
difference in the hips will be noticeable and you 
will develop a figure not to be proud of. 

As for washing, you will need more care just 
here than perhaps in any other part of housework. 
You must combine thought and exercise with 
bending over the tub, for you are obliged in this 
work to lean over in one position, and to inhale 
hot steam at every breath. Be careful to keep 
your mouth shut during this work, and breathe 




118 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


through the nose; make frequent stops for exer¬ 
cise and the deep breathing of fresh air. 
Straighten yourself up with some stretching exer¬ 
cise and breathe deeply for a minute or two away 
from the steam. It will do much to rest you and 
offset the disadvantages of this work. 

When you hang up the clothes, the same 
muscles are brought into action that are used in 
the gymnasium with some of the dumb-bell exer¬ 
cises. If you have the opportunity of going to a 
physical culture teacher, she can give instructions 
in the methods of doing housework which will 
show you how closely allied each part of it is 
with the various exercises that are given in a 
gymnasium. 

You can develop your figure just as well by 
means of housework, if you do it properly, as by 
a special system of physical culture. All exer¬ 
cises that develop the chest muscles help in the 
development of the bust. Deep breathing can be 
continually practiced in housework; this will de¬ 
velop lung capacity, cultivate a beautiful voice, 
and give color and smoothness to the com¬ 
plexion. 

Other exercises for the development of the bust 
consist in raising the arms in various positions, 
even in bending the head at different angles or 




EXERCISES IN HOUSEWORK 119 


in raising weights. The whole purpose of these 
exercises is to bring into play the muscles of the 
parts concerned. 

All of these movements, together with those 
used in washing windows, and scrubbing and 
sweeping, and bread-kneading, and bed-making, 
develop the muscles of the arm and chest and im¬ 
prove all this part of the body. 

Do not forget when ironing to apply the prin¬ 
ciple of double-sided development which you use 
in other forms of housework. Use first the right 
hand, then the left, and have the ironing board at 
a comfortable height. This last point is a most 
important one in all housework. 

Walking forms a large part of household exer¬ 
cise, and it is most necessary to do this correctly 
in order to reap its benefits. In walking up¬ 
stairs, walk erect; do not bend over, and never 
run upstairs. This is a most pernicious habit, 
and one as easily overcome as it is acquired, if a 
little care is used. 

Always remember to hold the chin in and let 
the chest lead. Draw in the abdomen, and the 
shoulders will naturally fall into the proper place. 
Then with deep breathing through your nose you 
will not run much risk of injury from house¬ 
work. Remember to bend only at the hips; do 




120 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


not bend at the waist; this will give you a good 
poise, and keep your back straight. 

It is well in sweeping to twist just a little at 
the hips, and this will give the side bending of the 
trunk w T hich is so beneficial to the internal 
organs, especially the liver. Floor-sweeping is 
a little like golf. 

Raising a window is a fine stretching exercise, 
but be careful how you do it. Hold the abdomen 
in, keep the back nearly straight, do not bend for¬ 
ward, but raise the sash by pushing with your 
feet. 

Holding the vital organs high is one of the 
first principles of health. 

When you are standing or walking you are in 
a position especially well adapted to the elevation 
of the internal organs. Hold the hips back, lift 
the crown of the head up and back, hold the chest 
forward and you will not need to “ push the 
shoulders back.” Hold the abdomen in, elevat¬ 
ing the internal organs as high as possible. 

This position will be too tiring to hold very 
long at a time, but take it frequently and the 
muscles will gradually become strengthened so 
that special attention need not be given to correct 
position. 




CHAPTER NINE 


U 


tr 


MASSAGE OR PASSIVE EXERCISE 


Use of massage, joint troubles, headache. Self-massage. Bene¬ 
fits of massage. Facial massage. Scalp massage. 


M ASSAGE has a distinct place in 
hygiene. It is, of course, a form of 
exercise. For those who are not able 
to take sufficient active exercise, massage offers 
a very good substitute. 

If you sit a great deal of the day, and your 
occupation is of a sedentary character, you must 
take some means of stimulating your whole body. 
In order to keep in perfect health you must give 
your tissues and organs the same amount of exer¬ 
cise by other means that your more active com¬ 
panions get who do hard physical work all day 
long. Massage in certain cases offers this 
method, and may sometimes be depended upon 
almost entirely by itself, or may be simply used 
as an addition to other forms of exercise. 

You may say then: “ How about outdoor 
sports? ” I do not mean to ignore them, but it 


121 




i22 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


is sometimes almost impossible to indulge in them, 
and you may be in a physical condition where you 
are unable to do so. In all such conditions mas¬ 
sage offers an excellent substitute. 

In indulging in outdoor sports, it is often a 
temptation to overdo them. Massage can be 
more easily regulated. It is on record that a 
number of cycle riders who covered a long 
stretch in a short time, were all found to have 
defective hearing at the end of the race. After 
resting for two hours, the hearing in nearly all of 
them had become normal again. 

I have known many troubles that had not 
yielded to any other treatment, cured by massage. 
I know well a girl who for years had suffered at 
times from intense pain in the joint of the jaw. 
It would come on very suddenly, and as she ex¬ 
pressed it, her jaw felt “out of joint,” and at 
these times she could eat only the softest food,— 
the soft part of bread, and soups. 

She was finally persuaded to take massage. 
She had treatment three times a week for three 
months. At the end of this time she was entirely 
relieved, and has never been troubled since with 
the old pain. 

Massage will often relieve or cure a headache. 
It is sometimes applied to the nape of the neck. 




MASSAGE OR PASSIVE EXERCISE 123 


Massage is most beneficial in cases of constipa¬ 
tion. 

Some people never perspire until they undergo 
a course of massage. 

An English writer gives a few simple, but very 
practical and helpful suggestions in regard to 
self-massage. 

It is to be taken as soon as you arise in the 
morning. The body is stripped down to the 
waist. Shivering is a proof that you are very 
tender, and that you are sadly in need of massage. 

In order to prevent shivering, take a large 
Turkish towel and throw it quickly over your 
shoulders. Then begin a thorough rubbing 
with the towel. 

As soon as you feel comfortable, throw off the 
towel and use only your hands. With the palm 
and^fingers of your right hand rub down the front 
of your left arm to the wrist, then up the back of 
the same arm to the shoulder. Repeat this ten 
times. Alernate then with the left hand. 

Next rub the throat. First, use the right 
palm, rubbing it over the throat and left side of 
the neck up to the ear ten times. Alternate with 
the left. You may now use both hands. 

Rub from under the arms down to the hips 
ten times. Put your arms behind you, and with 




124 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


the backs of your hands rub your back all that 
you can and down over the kidneys. 

You can then take up the towel again, grasp¬ 
ing one end with the right hand, over the right 
shoulder, and the other end with the left hand 
down at the waist line. Rub thoroughly in this 
way the back and the shoulder, including the 
spine. Then toss the towel down under the 
arms and rub it across the back and up and down. 

Change sides again. If at this time you are 
feeling in good condition and are not too tired 
you can give your legs a rub. Do as you did 
with the arms; rub first down the front of the 
leg and up the back. 

You have now practically taken in most of the 
body. Put on your clothes. 

One part remains still to be rubbed—the soles 
of the feet. Rub first one sole, then the other, 
with the palms of the hands. This is a very 
important part of massage, as the nerves of the 
soles of the feet are very sensitive. You will 
learn in our talk about feet how important the 
perfect health of these members is to the health 
of the whole organism. 

The exposure of the skin in the way that we 
have mentioned is an excellent preventive against 
taking cold. 




MASSAGE OR PASSIVE EXERCISE 125 


Rubbing is beneficial when it extends from the 
nape of the neck down to the bottom of the spine 
and up again. The rubbing is done in deep 
circles with the thumbs and the palms of the 
hands. 

Great things are promised for massage by its 
advocates, and I believe that many of them are 
true. I think the secret of its good results lies 
in the fact that it stirs up sluggish circulation, 
not only of the blood-vessels themselves, but also 
of the lymphatic system. By its aid waste 
products are chased out of their hiding places and 
are pushed on into channels through which they 
are carried along and eliminated from the 
system. 

It is claimed by some authorities, and it would 
seem within reason, that there can scarcely exist 
sucE things as boils or pimples, or any such de-- 
fects when massage is thoroughly and systematic¬ 
ally carried out. It is claimed to be most help¬ 
ful in cases of obesity,—in such cases a very deep, 
firm, massage is necessary. 

Before massaging the face, it should be thor¬ 
oughly cleansed. You may use a soft brush or a 
cloth with warm water and pure soap. Many 
like the after stimulation of cool or cold water. 
This is particularly beneficial, as it tends to con- 




126 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


tract the pores which have become relaxed by 
application of heat. 

For the lines which run horizontally across the 
forehead, the fingers should rub up and down, or 
preferably across the lines in small circles from 
the center outward. 

For those straight wrinkles rising perpendicu¬ 
larly from the bridge of the nose, rub the fingers 
across. You can do as much or more to efface 
these lines by keeping your face in repose as you 
can by massage. 

The massage should be applied with a firm and 
steady pressure. The rotary motion with the 
tips of the fingers is excellent for nearly all 
wrinkles. This can be used for those already 
mentioned. 

It consists in moving the second and third fin¬ 
gers in little circles or wheels. The kneading is 
done firmly, and is continued backward and up¬ 
ward. Or you can take the four fingers and 
knead deeply with them in little circles. It is a 
good plan to practice these motions on a pillow. 

The skin about the eye should never be 
touched without the application of a skin food of 
some kind and even then very gently. This skin 
is tender and very susceptible to irritation. 

Some girls are troubled with the laughing 




MASSAGE OR PASSIVE EXERCISE 127 


wrinkles or “ crow’s feet.” The ends of the 
second and third fingers are placed firmly on the 
temple. They should not be allowed to slip as 
they knead deeply upward toward the forehead. 
It is a good plan to place the other hand just 
above the space that you are massaging, in order 
to hold the skin firmly, so that it cannot be pulled 
or stretched, thus causing more wrinkles. 

For puffiness under the eyes you should always 
consult a physician, as this often indicates some 
internal trouble. But massage will be helpful in 
building up the sluggish tissue. The rotary 
movement should be used with the first or second 
finger, upward and outward toward the temple. 

For the deep lines running from the corners of 
the nose to the mouth, vigorous upward and out¬ 
ward rubbing will be of the greatest benefit. 

p.emember never to rub your face downward, 
even when wiping it with a towel. The general 
direction in handling the face should be upward 
and outward. 

An excellent method of massaging the skin 
about the eye is to rub the finger around under 
the eye from the nose, outward toward the 
temple, then under the arch, close to the eye— 
and inward, toward the nose again. 

You cannot expect too much, however, of the 




128 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


massage of the skin below the eye, as defects here 
often indicate some internal derangement. 

As to the neck, use the same motion for those 
lines as you have used for the wrinkles of the 
forehead. It is well also, to begin this treatment 
by washing the neck according to the directions 
given for washing the face. 

Now for the double chin. Massage of this 
part, back and forth—you can use a massage 
roller very well for this work—will give you 
pretty rapid results. This sagging under the 
chin is not always caused by excessive fat, but 
often is due to relaxed muscle. The exercises 
which have been given, especially for the neck, 
will also be of benefit to you in beautifying this 
part. 

The dressing of the neck has much to do 
with its beauty and is referred to under the chap¬ 
ter on clothing. 

It is well in massaging yourself to spend only 
a few minutes at a time, and remember that the 
first step to take is that of removing the cause 
which has led to the weakened muscles and fail¬ 
ing tissue. 

A very important point in relation to the con¬ 
tour of your cheeks, is the preservation of your 
teeth, for when they are once gone the bony 




MASSAGE OR PASSIVE EXERCISE 129 


sockets in which they grew, and which materially 
help to hold out that part of the face, are gradu¬ 
ally absorbed. This leads to a sinking in, which 
nothing can remedy. 

If your cheeks are hollow or sunken, the move¬ 
ment referred to above, of rubbing upward and 
outward vigorously, will help to bring the blood 
to the surface, and nourish the tissues. 

Scalp massage is most important to maintain 
the vigor of the hair. It is well to loosen up the 
scalp, which is sometimes hidebound because of 
faulty circulation. Place your finger tips on the 
top of the head and work the scalp and you will 
easily see what I mean. 

If your scalp is flexible and slides to a certain 
degree without difficulty over the tissues under¬ 
neath, you may be satisfied that it is not hide- 
bbund. If, however, it is stiff, and moves only 
slightly, you will find that after manipulation for 
a short time there will be a great improvement. 
The rotary movement for the scalp is excellent 
for stimulating its circulation. An important 
point to remember is to move the scalp itself and 
never rub the hair. 

A method of massaging the scalp for resting 
tired nerves is to raise the scalp by pressing the 
hands on opposite sides of the head. This pres- 




130 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


sure should be very firm and is applied now to 
one part, now to another. The effect of this 
maneuver is extremely restful, but I should never 
advise its application in any case but that of young 
people. 

Scientific directions in relation to the indica¬ 
tions for massage must always be sought from a 
physician who can personally observe the case, 
for it is as impossible to give offhand accurate 
directions in surgical or medical cases for the ap¬ 
plication of massage as it would be to give gen¬ 
eral directions for a prescription for a patient 
whom you have never seen. 

Although it is quite possible to obtain consider¬ 
able benefit by following out the simple descrip¬ 
tions that have been given in this chapter, nothing 
will teach you the proper movements in any form 
of massage or rubbing like several treatments 
from a practical masseuse. You can gain more 
from this than you can from any description that 
was ever written. 





CHAPTER TEN 


V 


XJ 


THE CARE OF THE SKIN 


Functions. Structure. “ Skin heart.” Area of skin. Beauty 
of skin dependent upon health. 


T HE skin is one of the most interesting 
organs of the body. It is tough yet 
sensitive and elastic, and it serves 
various purposes. Although at first glance it 
would appear such a simple structure, it is really 
quite complicated. It may be considered as the 
skin itself, the glands which secrete both perspira¬ 
tion and oil, and the hair and nails, which are 
really appendages of the skin. 

Its functions are most important; it is the 
organ of the delicate sense of touch. It is capa¬ 
ble of absorption; and through it many impuri¬ 
ties pass out. The skin is really the foundation 
of beauty, and it cannot have too much care, while 
it repays every attention that is given to it. 

In order to get a clear idea of its structure it 
is necessary to look at it under the microscope. 
We there see several layers. The most super- 




132 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


ficial is known as the scarf skin, or cuticle. This 
really forms the protective layer of the surface of 
the whole body. It is composed of tiny scales or 
horny plates. These are very thin and are laid 
one over the other like shingles on a roof. They 
are closely attached except on the very exterior, 
where they are being constantly loosened and 
thrown off. 

Perhaps you have noticed, after wearing your 
stockings for two or three days, that you can 
shake out a little cloud of white dust from them. 
This means that the superficial layers of the skin 
cells have been cast off and cling to the stock¬ 
ings. This would be scarcely, if at all noticeable, 
if you changed your stockings daily, and if you 
took a thorough rubbing after your morning 
bath. 

It is said by those who have traveled in the 
Orient that Western people do not know what 
a thorough bath means. There is nothing more 
fascinating than to read a description of the ori¬ 
ental baths. The various processes through 
which the bather is put takes off all waste matter 
on the surface of his body and thoroughly cleanses 
it. 

There is not enough rubbing or oiling in this 
country to get off all that is really waste. This 




CARE OF THE SKIN 


i 33 


insensitive layer, or, as it is called, the horny 
layer, varies in thickness in different parts of the 
body. It is thickest on the palms of the hands 
and on the soles of the feet, and thinnest on the 
eyelids. 

But let us look at our little section under the 
microscope. Below this top layer we find a little 
line of colored cells waving along. These con¬ 
tain the pigment which gives the tint to the 
skin. When this is absent we have the albino; 
when it is present in the extreme degree we have 
the negro. 

Both heat and light have the effect of increas¬ 
ing the amount of pigment in the skin. You 
probably know to your sorrow that those little 
dots that we call freckles are very much en¬ 
couraged by the sun and heat. 

TJTe farmer, who is exposed to all kinds of 
weather, shows the effect on his pigment cells in 
his bronzed face. The sailor also gives evidence 
of this effect, and the furnace man, who stands 
before fierce fires for hours each day, has brown 
spots on his legs to testify to his occupation. 

That part of the skin which lies beneath this 
protective layer is made up of many fibers. This 
is known as the corium, and is called the true 
skin. When the skin of animals is tanned and 




i34 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


the leather is ready for use, it represents the 
corium. 

Below this layer is the connective tissue, in 
which the blood-vessels, the lymphatics, the 
nerves, the sweat glands, and the deepest hair 
roots are found. Sometimes there is a cushion 
of fat between these two lower layers. 

One writer has called the system of blood¬ 
vessels in the skin and in the tissues directly un¬ 
derneath, the “ skin heart.” This system is ex¬ 
tensive enough to hold nearly thirty per cent, of 
all the blood in the body. 

The capillaries in the skin have been estimated 
to measure ten thousand square feet. They are 
in direct connection with the central circulatory 
system. In the twenty-four hours, fluid to the 
amount of one-fifth of the body weight may pour 
out through the skin. The two pints of sweat 
produced every day is double the amount of water 
that is thrown off by the lungs. 

Respiration through the skin is very important. 
If a frog is dipped into oil it will die more quickly 
than if its windpipe is tied. This is because 
the respiration through the skin is stopped. 

The average area of the skin covering is about 
seventeen square feet. 

The skin has its own muscles, as you can 




CARE OF THE SKIN 


*35 


readily see when from cold or fear you have 
“ goose flesh ”; the muscles have contracted, and 
the tiny hairs stand up on end. 

The skin receives the outflow from number¬ 
less little mouths from the perspiratory and the 
oil ducts, and in this way many noxious mat¬ 
ters are poured out upon its surface. 

You can see, then, that the skin must be re¬ 
garded in two lights, both from the standpoint 
of beauty and of health. The two are so closely 
connected that one cannot stand without the 
other. 

But one part of the skin we have not yet 
spoken of, and that is the papillae. These are 
tiny prolongations which stretch up under the 
horny layer. They are furnished with most sen¬ 
sitive nerves and their presence accounts for the 
sense of touch. The horny layer protects them 
from injury, otherwise existence would be a tor¬ 
ture. 

You all know that when the true skin is ex¬ 
posed what pain it causes. You have probably, 
at some time, blistered your hand and have had 
the misfortune to lose the cap of skin which was 
raised in order to protect the injury. The pain 
came from the presence of these sensitive nerves. 

A beautiful skin without any blemishes comes 




136 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


directly from good health, and the first step to 
health and to a beautiful skin is to get and keep 
the blood pure. There is no such thing as beauty 
unless the blood is in good condition. 

The whole blood system is like a gorgeously 
colored Venice, with scarlet waterways and little 
boats hurrying to and fro. The latter carry two 
kinds of messengers, market boys and scavengers. 
The market boys are the more vigorous, and are 
represented by the red blood corpuscles, which 
bring nutrition to all the tissues of the body; 
the scavengers are the white blood corpuscles, 
which gather up the refuse. 

If both of these are trained to accomplish their 
work well, then you are assured of health and 
beauty, for the blood has everything to do with 
the appearance of the skin. If your blood is 
pure your skin is sure to be clear. 





CHAPTER ELEVEN 


COMPLEXION 


Cleanliness the secret of beauty. Application of face lotions. 
Moles. Lotion for red nose. Dry skin. Florid com¬ 
plexion. Causes of skin troubles. Wrinkles. 


Y OU already know that careful attention 
to all of the laws of hygiene will do 
more for your complexion than any 
lotions that ever were concocted. Bathing, diet, 
exercise, breathing, cheerfulness, all go to make 
up the sum of beauty. If you are careful in 
all these respects, it will be very difficult for 
yoP not to have a good complexion. 

Nevertheless, the different skins vary in their 
structure, and you must use your good sense in 
caring for your own. If, for example, you have 
an oily skin, you must take certain precautions 
that you would not need to observe if your skin 
were dry. 

Under the subject of baths, we have discussed 
one of the essential factors in the care of the 
skin. The skin of the face, perhaps, deserves 




i 3 8 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


more care than that of any other part of the 
body, because it is more exposed than any other 
part, and it is more delicate. 

Abrupt changes of temperature, both of air 
and water, are very irritating. In washing the 
skin of the face, the first step should be to wash 
the hands thoroughly; then pour out this water 
and use perfectly fresh, pure water for the face. 
Various troubles are caused by rubbing the soiled 
hands over the face, for, although you may not 
be conscious of it, the hands harbor many mi¬ 
crobes, even when you think that they are 
comparatively clean, and these you may easily 
rub into the skin of the face, if you handle it 
very much. 

The ideas of many authorities are at variance 
concerning the question of the temperature of the 
water for bathing the face. A good plan is to 
wash the face at night with hot water and soap. 
Follow this by friction with a towel that is not 
harsh enough to irritate. If you choose you may 
dip your hands into cool water after the hot 
bath, and gently dab it over the face. 

After the bathing, do not go out immediately 
into the air, but wait a little while, for the deli¬ 
cate face skin should be protected against sudden 
changes, and especially against cold. 




COMPLEXION 


i 39 


Always keep a separate wash-cloth for your 
face, and, indeed, it is well to have two for this 
purpose, one for the soap and one for the clear 
water. Don’t use a sponge, for it harbors bac¬ 
teria, and you cannot keep it clean. The best 
material for a wash-cloth has been said to be raw 
silk. After using the cloth, wash it, and put it 
into boiling water. Keep it clean! 

You must never relax in your attention to the 
skin, for the most exquisite cleanliness is one of 
the chief secrets of health and beauty. 

If the water from the tap is hard, and you 
cannot get any rain water, put a few drops of 
ammonia, or a pinch of borax, into the bowl. 
This will soften the water, and make it very 
cleansing besides. Compound tincture of ben¬ 
zoin, about a dozen drops to the bowl of water, 
is ^ery refreshing to the skin. 

The circulation of the skin of the face needs 
stimulation as well as that of other parts of the 
body. Facial massage, if properly applied, is 
very helpful in keeping the marks of age in 
abeyance. 

Do not steam the face, but if the circulation 
is not good, place a towel wrung out of hot water 
on the face. Alternate with towels wrung out 
of cold water. Do not keep up this treatment for 




1 4 o BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


more than ten minutes. Then use a good cold 
cream. 

After the toilet of the face has been completed, 
it is well to rub it with a silk handkerchief. 
This gives a polish, not a shine, to the face, 
which is very pleasing. 

It is well to use a little alcohol after your 
bath, or, indeed, at any time. Alcohol toughens 
the skin, and gets it into condition to resist the 
onslaught of sun, wind, or cold. 

A Turkish bath, now and then, is excellent for 
opening and cleansing the pores. If you take a 
salt rub at this time it is very stimulating, and 
the skin will feel like satin when you come out 
from the bath. 

An oil rub, especially if your skin is dry and 
harsh, will be most beneficial, and will help to 
put it into normal condition. The Greek bath, 
in which seven parts of pure olive oil and one 
part of lavender water are used, is exquisitely 
refreshing. Rub the mixture well into the skin, 
being careful to keep the body very warm; take 
this bath for three successive nights. 

When you come in in the evening, and are 
going out again into the air, it is a wise precau¬ 
tion to cleanse the face with a good cold cream 
or olive oil. If you have never tried this you will 




COMPLEXION 


141 


be a trifle abashed at the amount of mother earth 
that will come off on the face cloth. If you are 
afraid that this will leave the face greasy you 
may use a powder made of prepared chalk seventy- 
five parts, and zinc oxide twenty-five parts. 

And are you troubled with freckles, as so 
many girls are? It is often said for the comfort 
of this part of the population that the thinner 
and more delicate the skin, the harder it is to 
care for, and the more subject it is to all sorts 
of “ beauty spots.” 

When you have a particularly prominent crop 
of freckles your kindly disposed friends will tell 
you that it is only the finest and most delicate 
skins which are affected in this way. This is 
rather cold comfort. 

The freckles cannot be scattered without get¬ 
ting down to them. They are below the surface, 
and not on the skin; consequently, the outside 
skin layer must be removed. There are various 
home remedies to use for this trouble. 

Lemon juice with glycerine is one of the best. 
Some girls think they cannot use glycerine at all. 
Perhaps they cannot, but it is probably because it 
is not diluted sufficiently. Pure glycerine is a 
great irritant. It should therefore be mixed with 
water so that it may be mild enough for use. 




142 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


There are few cases in which, if this dilution is 
sufficient, the mixture will not prove beneficial. 
The proportions of lemon juice and glycerine 
may be equal, or they may be varied according 
to the effect upon the skin. As a rule, the thinner 
the skin the smaller should be the amount of 
lemon juice. 

Another way to dispose of the surface layer 
of the skin is to rub a fresh slice of lemon over 
the face, letting the juice dry on and remain for 
a time. The acid will cause the superficial cells 
to scale off. The glycerine may be applied later 
for the sake of the softening effect, but the first 
method is preferable. 

A simple lotion for freckles, and one that is 
quite effective, is composed of a dram of am¬ 
monium chloride to four ounces of distilled water. 
Night is the best time to apply a face lotion, and 
after the face has been bathed in hot water. 

As to still stronger preparations I should not 
advise their use without the direction of a phy¬ 
sician. 

A nightly bath in buttermilk or sweet milk is 
a great beautifier, and makes the skin of the face 
very soft and white. 

Face veils have, perhaps, more to do with af¬ 
fecting the complexion than you may think. 




COMPLEXION 


143 


Plain chiffon or gauze is the best material. It 
must not have dots of any kind, as the oculist 
will tell you that many eye troubles are caused 
by wearing fancy meshed veils, even though you 
may be perfectly unconscious of the trouble that 
you are causing for yourself. 

The color of the veil makes considerable dif¬ 
ference. Red is the best to keep off freckles. As 
this color is not apt to be very popular in veiling, 
reddish brown stands next in line. If this seems 
strange to you, just think of the different uses to 
which, in these modern days, the different colors 
of lights are put, especially in skin diseases, and 
the logic of it will then appeal to you. Next in 
value to the red veil comes white chiffon; most 
injurious of all to the complexion is the black 
veil; next to this stands blue. 

In using any face lotion, the manner of apply¬ 
ing it is quite important. 

Have a little jar of sterilized absorbent cotton 
balls, which you can buy by the pound or the 
package very reasonably at the chemist’s. The 
jar into which these little balls are placed should 
be wide-mouthed, with a screw top; then you 
can use them just as they are needed, keeping 
the rest clean in the meantime. 

It is best to pour out into a clean saucer as 




144 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


much lotion as you will need for one application ,* 
dip one of the little balls into it, and gently mop 
it over the face. Use fresh ones from time to 
time during the process, and throw them all 
away at the end. 

Many girls are troubled with pimples, which 
even go on to acne. They seem to come in 
groups, and are often very painful. One set is 
scarcely gone before another makes its appear¬ 
ance. Sometimes they are due to an internal 
derangement which requires the advice and treat¬ 
ment of a physician. Not infrequently they fol¬ 
low indulgence in rich and indigestible food. 

If the cause is not deep-seated, local treatment 
will often be of benefit. An excellent lotion for 
pimples is: Precipitate of sulphur, one drachm; 
tincture of camphor,one drachm; rosewater, four 
ounces. This may be applied several times a day. 

A good lotion for blackheads is: Carbonate of 
magnesia and zinc oxide, each one drachm; rose¬ 
water, four ounces. This should be shaken and 
mopped on the spots, and later the bulk of the 
“ worm,” which is the thickened contents of a 
tiny oil tube in the skin, may be gently pressed 
out, after the face is softened with hot water. 
A reliable cold cream is then applied. 

Be careful how you press out these little plugs. 




COMPLEXION 


H 5 


Do not bruise the surface by using your finger¬ 
nail or the round of a watch key, for the harm 
you can do in this way may take days to remedy. 
Very often, too, scratching or bruising leaves a 
discolored spot. 

Take a soft handkerchief and fold it several 
times loosely, so that it will form a pad under 
each thumb ball; then gently force out the 
“ worm.” There are tiny instruments called 
comedo extractors which can be bought at almost 
any chemist’s for this very purpose, and it is well 
to have one of them on hand. You should use 
this at night, as there is nearly always a little 
redness left after the squeezing, and it is well not 
to irritate the skin just before going out into the 
air. 

“ Moth patches ” are due to a deposit of pig¬ 
ment in the true skin. A good lotion for them 
consists of one half drachm of salicylic acid to 
two ounces of bay rum. This may be mopped on 
the spot night and morning. Colorless iodine 
may also be used. But these applications should 
be made carefully. 

Moles are mentally very distressing, especially 
when they grow on the face. Those from which 
hair grows are most unsightly, but one should 
never attempt to use any home remedies, since 




I 4 6 beauty through hygiene 


these defects are too deep-seated for superficial 
treatment. 

They may also, if interfered with ignorantly, 
be the starting point for cancerous growths. 
Never meddle with them; if you must have some¬ 
thing done, consult a skin specialist (I mean a 
physician) or a reliable surgeon, and follow the 
advice given to you. Those who advertise 
publicly are, as a rule, untrustworthy. 

Many suppose warts to be contagious, but this 
has never been proved, neither is it at all probable 
that they are caught from toads. Their habits 
are curious, and many odd traditions are afloat 
about them. Sometimes they disappear suddenly 
for no apparent reason. 

Caustics, such as nitric acid, chromic acid, or 
acetic acid, are often efficacious, but are too dan¬ 
gerous for use in the hands of any but an experi¬ 
enced physician. Many lifelong scars have been 
caused by their use. A simple remedy for warts 
is the following: Have the chemist put up a 
drachm of salicylic acid, and an ounce of collo¬ 
dion in a bottle which has a tiny brush run 
through the cork. Apply this mixture to the 
warts twice a day, and they will disappear. 

Any ordinary corn cure, of which the basis is 
salicylic acid, will accomplish the same result. 




COMPLEXION 


i47 


Scars that are left from pimples or scratching 
sometimes last quite a while, but gentle massage 
of these with cold cream will nearly always im¬ 
prove their appearance. Much patience is needed, 
however, for it will take time to efface such 
marks. 

Some girls are troubled with a red nose. The 
nose is very easily affected by various internal 
disorders, and it is always well to seek carefully 
for the cause. Many times this defect is due to 
tightness of some part of the clothing. It may 
be the corset, it may be the collar, it may be the 
sleeve. 

The following lotion is excellent for local ap¬ 
plication : Powdered calamine, one drachm; zinc 
oxide, one-half drachm; glycerine, one-half 
drachm; cherry laurel water, four ounces. 

; This lotion should be well shaken before using, 
and mopped on the nose both morning and 
evening. 

If your face is very dry, use cold cream, rub¬ 
bing it on at night. Your skin has not enough 
oil in it. 

An excellent cold cream for use in massage is 
one made according to the official formula: 
Spermaceti, 1 ounce avoirdupois, 400 grains; 
white wax, 1 ounce avoirdupois, 370 grains; ex- 




148 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


pressed oil of almonds, 9 fluid ounces; stronger 
rosewater, 3 fluid ounces; sodium borate in fine 
powder, 33 grains. The spermaceti and wax 
are shaved very fine and melted at moderate heat. 
The oil of almonds is added, and the mixture 
poured into a warm, shallow wedgwood mortar. 
The sodium borate is dissolved in the rosewater, 
and is then added without stirring. Now stir 
rapidly and continuously until the mixture is 
creamy. 

It is much better, however, for you to get a 
good druggist to put up the cream than to try 
to make it yourself. 

Do not use cold cream, vaseline, or the like 
before exposing your face to wind or sun—but 
afterward. 

If your face is too oily, wipe it off once or 
twice a day with dilute alcohol. Put a pinch 
of borax into the basin now and then, when you 
wash your face. You may use a good rice pow¬ 
der that is absorbent. Avoid all rich and greasy 
food, and stop butter for a little time. 

If your complexion is too florid, look to your 
diet; it may be too stimulating. Do not drink 
tea or coffee, or alcohlic beverages. Avoid 
greasy foods, and spices. Fruit and green 
vegetables will be good for you. 




COMPLEXION 


149 


If you cannot make your cheeks rosy, you car. 
at least have a clear skin. Not all girls can have 
rosy cheeks. Some girls always have them. 

As to the causes of skin diseases these are 
legion. Some skin troubles are merely local, and 
consequently are cured by local treatment, while 
others are due to some more deeply seated cause, 
and have to be treated accordingly. Many are 
known to come from disordered digestion, and 
it certainly behooves us to look well to this 
function, and to be extremely careful of diet. 

The healthy American girl of this generation 
does not suffer from lack of appetite; indeed, her 
appetite needs rather to be curbed, especially in 
the quality of food that it demands. Although 
eating ought to be a pleasure, we ought never 
to ; forget that we eat to live, that it is the food we 
take which forms the fuel which is converted 
into blood and gives nutrition to our bodies. 

Regularity of the action of the waste eliminat¬ 
ing organs, the skin, the kidneys, and the bowels, 
all contribute to keep the body in good condi¬ 
tion, and they play their part—a most important 
one—in making and keeping our complexions 
what we would have them. 

One of the substances in the skin proper is 
elastic, and it is distributed throughout it in 




150 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


tiny spirals. They act like the mainspring in a 
watch, for when they are straightened their ten¬ 
dency is to return to their normal state. In this 
way, after a strain, these little fibers return to 
their original condition and tend to smooth out 
the skin. Naturally, the elasticity is greater in 
the young than it is in the old and this fact ac¬ 
counts for the wrinkles that are seen in those of 
advancing years, for the elasticity of these little 
skin springs is not sufficient to restore the 
stretched tissues to their original condition. This 
should make one very careful about distorting 
the face or twisting it in any way, for there will 
come a time when the elasticity will be at such 
low ebb that lines will furrow the forehead and 
crow’s feet will branch out from the eyes, and 
the laughing wrinkles will disfigure the mouth, 
and the double chin will hang in a pouch. 

Besides this elastic substance, there is another 
element which has to do with the lining of the 
face. It is the skin muscles. These are both 
voluntary and involuntary. By means of the 
former we express any emotion that sways us 
for the time. The latter are not under the direct 
control of the will, but are influenced by changes 
in temperature and by mental conditions, such as 
embarrassment or fear. They contract and relax 




COMPLEXION 


151 

according to the nature of the excitement. It is 
to these muscles that we owe profuse perspiration, 
for they are relaxed by heat, and as some of them 
lie about the outlets of the perspiratory glands, 
they relax these openings when the body is sub¬ 
jected to heat, or they contract the same when 
the body is subjected to cold. When we exercise 
vigorously, the blood flows to the surface with 
the extra heat, and these muscles relax, so that 
perspiration is poured out on the surface of the 
body. This is a salty fluid, as you know, and 
evaporates slowdy; so by means of this action and 
reaction the body is kept in health at about the 
same temperature. If you will take a little mag¬ 
nifying glass and look at your hand you will see 
many little pits which, you know, are pores. 
The average number of these in the body has 
been estimated to be between two and three hun¬ 
dred thousand. This only shows how very im¬ 
portant it is to keep all of these little openings 
free, in order that this part of the drainage sys¬ 
tem of our bodies may be kept flushed and clear. 
Besides the perspiration of which we are con¬ 
scious, there is an imperceptible evaporation that 
is taking place from the surface constantly, which 
is known as insensible perspiration. Although 
this goes on so quietly, still the total amount of 




152 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


fluid passing from the body in this way has been 
estimated at about two pounds or pints daily. 
You can see how necessary it is, especially when 
you are perspiring freely, not to check the out¬ 
flow suddenly. When you have been dancing, 
and are very warm, do not go outside to cool 
off, for in this way the tiny muscles will contract, 
and the work which the skin should do is thrown 
with a shock upon the internal organs, which then 
become congested with the blood which is thrown 
back upon them, and—“ you have caught cold.” 

Food has a decided effect upon the skin. 
Plenty of good, cool butter is one of our best 
foods. It is only when the fat is fried and thus 
changed into fatty acids that it becomes harmful 
to the digestion and thus hurtful to the skin. 

Many girls have their own limitations in the 
matter of diet; some are not able to eat toma¬ 
toes; strawberries not infrequently produce a 
most annoying rash. Shellfish—lobsters, crabs, 
clams, oysters—are sometimes most troublesome 
in their effects. Buckwheat often causes an erup¬ 
tion. 

Sugar, which we have heard abused from the 
time when we bought our first peppermint stick 
on the way to school, is an excellent food, pro¬ 
vided it is pure, and is not taken in quantities 




COMPLEXION 


x 53 


* greater than can be assimilated. The liver 
should not be overburdened by a great quantity 
of sweets, but a small quantity of pure sugar is 
easily digested and absorbed, and under certain 
circumstances it may be formed into fat. 

You will all remember how, in recent years, 
candy has been apportioned to our soldiers in for¬ 
eign countries as forming a part of their regular 
regimen. Candy is a food, and, taken in modera¬ 
tion, especially immediately after meals, it is not 
harmful. 

Spices, mustard, and various appetizers serve 
to stimulate the gastric juice, if their use is not 
abused, and if they are taken in moderation. 

Hot soups flush the face, especially if the skin 
is delicate. The effect of alcoholic beverages in 
this respect is well known. Starches of all kinds, 
such as potatoes, ought always to be thoroughly 
cooked. 

Pork in any form, and veal, should especially 
be avoided, as well as very highly-seasoned foods 
and “ made ” dishes. Other articles of diet, 
which sometimes give trouble, are bananas, nuts, 
mutton, and cheese. 

Only by mastication is our food brought into 
condition for absorption by the blood, so that 
we get the greatest possible benefit from what 




i54 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


we eat. Nuts are full of nutrition and, generally 
speaking, are harmful only when eaten too freely 
after a hearty meal or between meals. 

Cheese may be digested with ease, if taken sep¬ 
arately into the mouth and thoroughly masti¬ 
cated. If girls would take more milk and less 
meat their skins would grow velvety, and re¬ 
semble more nearly the peaches and cream com¬ 
plexion that every one of them is anxious to 
possess. 

Water is also an invaluable aid to the beauty 
of the complexion. It should be taken before 
retiring, as well as in the morning, and between 
meals, in generous quantities. At least three 
pints a day should be taken, and it may be either 
hot or cold. 




tr 


CHAPTER TWELVE 




PERSPIRATION 


Sweat glands. Effects of atmosphere. Oil glands. Excessive 
perspiration. Curious cases. Lotions. Substances causing 
body odor. Tteatment for dry skin. 


tr 


T HE sweat glands, or coil glands, are 
made up of tiny tubes, which end in 
coils. These little coils are placed 
deep down in the true skin, or even in the fat 
underneath. The sweat ducts curl upward till 
they reach the surface of the skin. You will 
see their outlets on examining your skin care¬ 
fully, for you know them as pores. 

If all of the sweat tubing in the body were 
laid in a straight line it would reach for a dis¬ 
tance of nearly eighty miles. This forms one of 
the important means of carrying off waste prod¬ 
ucts, as well as water, from the body. 

Excessive perspiration, in which the water 
forms in drops, and even runs down the body 
in little streams, may amount to two or three 
pounds in an hour. This is the way in which 




156 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


we lose so much from exercise or a hot 
bath. 

There are some curious differences in animals 
as to the way in which they perspire. A man 
sweats all over his body; so does a horse, an ox 
also, but to a less degree; the hedgehog and the 
cat sweat only on the soles of their feet; the pig 
sweats on its snout; the ape in the palms of his 
hands, while the mouse, the rat, the goat, and 
the rabbit do not sweat. 

The condition of the atmosphere has much to 
do with the amount of perspiration. If the air 
is very damp, the perspiration cannot evaporate 
very easily, but if the air is dry, or if the wind is 
blowing, perspiration is quickly evaporated, and 
is then called insensible. If the air is hot, the 
skin perspires; when the perspiration evaporates 
it cools the body. 

The difficulty of evaporation in a damp atmos¬ 
phere explains the reason why we suffer so much 
more on a humid day. That is why we can 
endure a higher temperature in the Turkish bath 
than in the Russian bath. In the former the air 
is dry, while in the latter it is moist. In cool air, 
the skin blood-vessels contract, and so the warmth 
of the body is retained, because there is less blood 
in the surface of the skin to be cooled. 




PERSPIRATION 


i57 


The oil glands are not placed so deep as the 
sweat glands, and they generally open into the 
hair follicles. The oil which they secrete keeps 
the skin soft and serves as a protection. Ex¬ 
cessive perspiration is a great annoyance in many 
ways. It is generally confined to certain parts of 
the body, as the armpits, the hands, and the feet, 
the scalp, and the chest. It is often very hard 
to remedy. In some cases it cannot be cured, 
by any measures perhaps short of X-rayS, but 
only relieved, for it is often very resistant to 
any kind of treatment. It is not always easy 
to tell whether the condition is really one of 
excessive perspiration, or whether the glands are 
normally very active, but if it exists to such a 
degree that the individual catches cold very easily, 
or if it becomes weakening to the nervous system, 
it is then quite safe to say that the perspiratory 
apparatus is in a disordered condition. The 
X-ray seems capable of causing the glands to 
shrink. 

Stout girls are the ones most apt to perspire in 
all parts of the body. It is useless to try to treat 
this condition without at the same time paying 
attention to the general state of obesity, and using 
measures to overcome the disturbances of nutri¬ 
tion which give rise to corpulence. 




158 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


The absolute causes of excessive perspiration 
are not very well known. It is found in all 
classes and conditions—in those who are very par¬ 
ticular in their personal care, and in those who 
are not; in all ages, in both sexes, and in the 
healthy and sickly alike. This condition is some¬ 
times preceded by sensations of drawing or prick¬ 
ling, or oppression. 

Certain curious cases are known where exces¬ 
sive perspiration occurred in only one part of the 
body. It is sometimes seen in cases of neuralgia. 
Diseases of the nervous system are sometimes 
complicated by this troublesome condition. Some 
girls subject to sick headache perspire in limited 
parts of the head. 

I knew of a girl who perspired on one side of 
her head to such an extent that she could never 
arrange her hair well, as it was always wet; 
another who perspired so freely on the left 
side that her left sleeve had to be changed very 
often. It is not unusual to see a girl whose 
hands perspire so profusely as to ruin her 
gloves. 

Excitement of any kind and weakness often 
give rise to excessive perspiration. Sweating is 
generally, although not always, more profuse in 
the summer than in the winter. Sometimes the 




PERSPIRATION 


i59 


exertion of eating causes sweating in certain parts 
of the face. 

A case of sweating from the palms is reported, 
in which the quantity of perspiration was enor¬ 
mous. When the hands were held down, with 
the fingers extended, the sweat would drip off 
from the finger-tips so rapidly that pools of 
water were formed on the floor. The amount 
of sweat from one hand in five minutes amounted 
to about an ounce. This girl had to wrap her 
hands in towels at night in order that the sheets 
might not be soaked. Treatment did little 
good. 

In certain cases perspiration of the soles of the 
feet is so excessive that the patient is unable to 
use them on account of the pain in walking. 
This is due to the skin being so tender from con¬ 
stant immersion in the sweat. For those who 
are subject to perspiration from any emotion or 
excitement, it is sensible to live as quiet a life 
as possible, to avoid excitement, and to build up 
the system by means of fresh air, good food, and 
exercise. Normal sweat is odorless, but many 
cases are known in which the perspiration has a 
most disagreeable odor. These are also very dif¬ 
ficult to treat oftentimes. Permanganate of 
potassium solution makes a good wash. A 1 per 




160 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


cent, solution of formaline will often benefit, but 
in the severer cases, the skin specialist’s knowl¬ 
edge should be sought. 

Excessive sweating of the feet has been noted 
to be hereditary in many cases. A good lotion 
for excessive perspiration is: Tannic acid, 8 
grains, bay rum, 4 fluid ounces. Sometimes 
certain medicines or foods after they are taken 
will cause odor in the perspiration. Garlic and 
onions eaten in large quantities have been known 
to have this effect. 

Certain drugs, such as sulphur or phosphorus, 
impress their odor unmistakably on the perspira¬ 
tion. Even silver articles carried in the pockets 
of the person who is taking sulphur, will at times 
become black, proving that the drug is exhaled 
from the skin. Among other substances which 
are known to cause body odor are turpentine, tar, 
coffee, alcohol, iodine, truffles, and valerian. 
Salt baths are sometimes of benefit in this 
trouble. 

There are odors known as professional odors 
of the skin. One of the most persistent of these 
is noted in men who care for horses. It is very 
lasting, and can sometimes be noticed for weeks 
after the man has stopped this work. Druggists, 
tanners, butchers, and soap boilers all have a 




PERSPIRATION 


l6i 


characteristic odor. Then, too, various diseases 
have their own peculiar odor, so that an experi¬ 
enced physician can detect it at once upon enter¬ 
ing the sick room. 

The hair of the scalp has an odor, which may 
be called normal. This smells like musk in the 
Chinese, without the use of any toilet preparation. 
Hair that falls from the head loses its odor, so 
that a hair dresser can recognize from the smell 
whether hair has been cut from the head or has 
fallen. 

Occasionally, the body has an agreeable odor 
resembling orris root, bananas, or even violets. 

All of these odors are due to the decomposition 
of fatty acids in the perspiration. In cases in 
which a girl is conscious of a distinctly disagree¬ 
able odor that she cannot overcome by personal 
car^—and she will often find that this is possible 
if sufficient attention be given to baths and clean 
clothing—it is well to consult a physician. 

Oftentimes tonics are of service to build up 
the system. It will depend to a certain extent 
upon the state of the patient’s health, upon the 
length and location of the disease, and upon its 
severity as to how soon or how perfectly this 
trouble may be overcome. 

Another curious anomaly of perspiration is the 




162 BEAUTY TEIROUGH HYGIENE 


different colors that it sometimes shows. The 
typical forms ar~ black, blue, and gray. Some¬ 
times it is red, brown, green, or yellow. This is 
caused in certain cases by a reaction occurring 
between the sweat and the clothing. Sometimes 
it exists together with certain internal disorders. 
These cases are often very obstinate. 

The lower eyelids are, perhaps, more often af¬ 
fected than other regions. Under the influence 
of some emotion or disturbance they become con¬ 
gested and painful, while a blackish or bluish dis¬ 
coloration gradually spreads over the entire sur¬ 
face of the lid. Sometimes the cheeks and fore¬ 
head are affected, and at times other parts of 
the body. Not infrequently the clothing under 
the armpits is stained a rusty hue. 

A girl wrote me not long ago that bathing 
under the arms with bay rum w^ould prevent this 
discoloration. She also said that she could re¬ 
move this stain from the clothing by means of the 
bay rum. 

It is quite possible that colored sweat is due to 
germs. The coloring matter adheres very closely 
to the skin. Water, even with brisk rubbing, 
will not alone cleanse the skin. The pigment 
sometimes seems to be made up of some oily or 
greasy substance which resembles lampblack. It 




PERSPIRATION 


163 


is also very difficult to remove the stain of per¬ 
spiration from the linen. A French writer 
states that the skin can be perfectly cleansed by 
means of oil. Other authorities have not had 
the same success. 

Girls who suffer from this affection are often 
of the hysterical type. It occurs generally in the 
young, not often being seen after thirty years of 
age. 

For the malodorous, excessive sweating of the 
feet, it is said that the following powder is used 
in the German army: Salicylic acid, 2 scruples; 
starch, 1-2 ounce; powdered talcum, 21-2 ounces. 
In mild cases a bath of alum water may be fol¬ 
lowed by the application of a dusting powder of 
starch, prepared chalk, or orris root. Another 
dusting powder that may be used consists of one 
oun'ce of zinc oxide and four ounces of powdered 
starch. 

As we have already said many remedies have 
to be tried frequently before one that is really 
effectual for the individual girl is found, and in 
some cases nothing is absolutely satisfactory. 
Two or three simple formulae may be added for 
excessive perspiration. An eminent skin special¬ 
ist advises as a remedy a tea of white oak bark 
applied freely to the perspiring parts; and for 




164 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


the bad odor a wash of an ounce of hydrate of 
chloral to a pint of water. 

A prescription for a powder which will prevent 
excessive perspiration is: Oleate of zinc, one 
drachm;' powdered starch, one ounce; salicylic 
acid, one-third of a drachm. Dust this fre¬ 
quently over the affected parts. 

There is another condition of the sweat glands 
in which they do not secrete at all. This may 
occur in certain grave diseases such as diabetes or 
tuberculosis, and in some nervous affections. In 
these cases the general condition must first be 
treated. The dryness of the skin may be relieved 
by applying the following preparation, known as 
glycerite of starch: Starch, 2 drachms, glycerine, 
2 ounces. These ingredients should be rubbed 
together thoroughly in a mortar till well mixed; 
and then slowly heated, with constant stirring. 




CHAPTER THIRTEEN 


CONSTIPATION 


Causes of constipation. Consequences. Effect of faulty posture upon 
the bowels. Mental control of function. Diet. Value of 
water-drinking. Mastication. Physical exercise. Massage. 



ITH all the attention that has 
recently been given to the subject 
of sewage and drainage in our 


houses and cities, how many girls stop to think 
how far more important is attention to their own 
eliminative functions? 

The consequences of defects in the perform¬ 


ance of digestive functions are far reaching, and 


I believe are the cause of a large majority of 
the diseases which are so prevalent in modern 
times. 

There are various causes of constipation, one 
of the chief being neglect of the calls of nature. 
The digestive apparatus is so closely associated 
with the nervous system that it is extremely sus¬ 
ceptible to the influence of habit. 

There is nothing more important for the 


16.5 




166 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


proper performance of the eliminative functions 
than the faithful observance of a certain hour 
each day. Any deviation from this rule or 
irregularity in the time will most surely have its 
effect, as you all undoubtedly have observed. 
The nerves of the intestines which are normally 
sensitive to the presence of a foreign body when 
it is ready to be thrown off, become dulled when 
attention is not given to this matter, and conse¬ 
quently fail to perform their work. 

Then again, one of the results of faulty posture 
is downward displacement of the bowels. This 
condition leads to catarrh of the intestines, and 
thus to intestinal indigestion, and so on to con¬ 
stipation and sometimes to diarrhea. In such 
cases mucus is often seen in the feces. 

Some girls indulge in the very bad habit of 
reading at this time. You cannot satisfactorily 
attend to tw r o functions at the same time. 

The mind and the will have a great deal to do 
with the proper performance of these duties. 
You probably have had the experience of becom¬ 
ing so absorbed in other matters that the desire 
for defecation which came on at the regular hour 
finally passed away. 

Concentration on this part of the day’s work is 
as necessary as it is in everything else that you do. 




CONSTIPATION 


167 


Any depressing influence such as worry or pro¬ 
longed work will soon affect the nervous system 
and cause all of the physiological functions to 
become slowed. 

Diet has often much to do with constipation. 
In certain girls the intestinal lining is so delicate 
and irritable that coarse foods, such as contain 
the woody fiber of fruits and vegetables, are irri¬ 
tating. In such persons diarrhea and constipa¬ 
tion sometimes alternate. 

In other girls the intestines are less irritable 
than normal; consequently, coarse foods are 
necessary to stimulate them to their proper 
action. In this regard, as in so many others, one 
person differs widely from another, and each girl 
must become familiar with her own physical 
peculiarities. 

We eat too much meat and white bread, too 
many eggs and potatoes, while we take compara¬ 
tively few vegetables and coarse grains which are 
rich in woody fiber. 

We are too apt to be fond of the dainties— 
pastry, puddings, sweets, etc., and to neglect the 
more substantial articles of diet. 

Many girls fear to eat much fat, having the 
idea that abstention from fat will improve the 
complexion. This element, however, is necessary 




168 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


to keep the bowels in good condition, and in many 
girls is beneficial to the skin. 

A modern writer on constipation goes into 
careful details of the diet suitable for this condi¬ 
tion. Rye bread is excellent for certain forms of 
dyspepsia with constipation. Rye mush, taken 
with molasses, is also advised. Oatmeal acts as a 
laxative in many cases. Of course when there is 
a catarrhal condition of either bowels or stomach, 
this diet is not suitable. 

Graham crackers, graham bread, cracked wheat 
and hominy are all mentioned. Green vege¬ 
tables, such as beet tops, greens, spinach, lettuce, 
cabbage, cauliflower, and asparagus, all act on the 
bowels from the fact that they contain woody 
fiber. 

Other vegetables such as cucumbers, parsnips, 
carrots, green beans, green peas, sauerkraut, the 
various vegetable salads prepared with French 
dressing, and fruits, all have their place. 

There are certain articles of diet which, al¬ 
though not containing much waste matter, still 
have a tendency to stimulate the action of the 
bowels or to keep their contents soft. Of these 
are mentioned oils, fats, butter, buttermilk, cot¬ 
tage cheese, molasses or syrup, vinegar, and 
salt. 




CONSTIPATION 


169 


Some of the foods mentioned as having a 
tendency to cause constipation are potatoes, dried 
beans, dried peas, sago, rice, barley, and cheese 
(not cottage). Blackberries, nuts, eggs, and 
pickles, green tea, milk, cocoa, pepper, and mus¬ 
tard are also included in this list. 

Food should be carefully cooked; frying should 
be prohibited in the case of those who suffer from 
constipation. There is always a certain amount 
of dyspepsia in those who have this trouble, and 
fried food only adds to this complaint. 

A certain philosopher has said that “ man is a 
cooking animal.” Food must be cooked before it 
is fit to eat. However, others hold exactly the 
opposite view. 

At breakfast and at the evening meal stewed 
fruit should be taken in liberal quantities; apples, 
pears, and plums are excellent; so are prunes, figs, 
and tamarinds. Avoid canned peaches because 
they are said to have a tendency to constipate. A 
girl should be careful also not to overeat, as this 
also is one element in causing constipation. 

As to drinks, cool water offers an excellent 
stimulus to the action of the intestines. Those 
then who have a tendency to constipation should 
drink plentifully of cool fresh water, at least 
three pints a day, between meals. As a routine 




i7o BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


measure they should take a glass of water the 
first thing in the morning and the last thing at 
night. Root beer and sweet cider are often bene¬ 
ficial. Alcoholic liquors, otherwise, should not 
be touched. 

You have all heard how many times Gladstone 
used to chew each mouthful of food which he 
took. I bedieve it was about thirty times. The 
next time you take a mouthful of bread or meat, 
try this yourself. Notice how the very taste will 
change, and the consistence of the mouthful will 
be far more ready for the stomach’s work thru 
it ordinarily is. 

Many of the soft foods, such as bread and 
potato, in other words the starches, need careful 
mastication, because they are really partly di¬ 
gested by the juices of the mouth. Do not think 
then that because food is soft that it is safe to 
swallow it without chewing. Of course this 
means that your teeth must be in perfect condi¬ 
tion. 

As in all other parts of your daily life, physical 
exercise is here most important. Sometimes the 
lack of this comes from indolence; sometimes it 
is due to sedentary occupations. 

Do not be careless about your exercise, or 
about your posture. Remember that lack of 




CONSTIPATION 


171 

exercise is frequently a cause of constipation. So 
is faulty posture, for this often results in weak¬ 
ness of the abdominal muscles. And this is an 
element in producing constipation. 

Do not let fat accumulate in your abdomi¬ 
nal walls, for this also decreases muscular 
vigor. 

Walking is especially good for the constipated 
girl. 

I know of no better general exercise for consti¬ 
pation than gardening. 

Massage, which is now generally admitted to 



Fig. 19.—Kneading the abdomen. 

Stand in the front rank in methods of treatment* 
may be given by a masseuse or by yourself. 

The abdomen should be bare when massage is 
employed. The rubbing should last from five to 





172 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


fifteen minutes, according to the severity of the 
trouble; and these periods may be broken into 
two or three parts. Massage must never give 
pain, and should be given according to instruc¬ 
tions in the chapter on massage. 

An excellent exercise is taken in a loose gar¬ 
ment. The girl sits easily on a chair with her 
feet on the floor. She leans first to one side, 
touching the floor with her hands, then alternates, 
changing to the other side. In this way the 



Fig. 20.—The description of this exercise is given under corrective 
exercises. 


bowels are stimulated by pressure of the abdo¬ 
men against the thigh. 

Use any exercises which include trunk rota-, 
tion, bending of the trunk forward and back¬ 
ward, raising the flexed knee as high as possible, 
extension and flexion of the knee forward and 
backward, the hewing exercise given before, and 
stooping and bending, or squatting and rising, 





CONSTIPATION 


i73 


also rolling over on the floor; they are all bene¬ 
ficial. 

A brilliant physician who writes on this sub¬ 
ject suggests as a substitute for massage in 
chronic cases the use of a metal ball, weighing 
from four to six pounds. This is to be rolled 
over the abdomen for five or ten minutes every 
morning. Sometimes a hollow ball containing 
shot is used. The movement of the shot gives an 
impetus to the ball as it is rolled over the 
abdomen. 

Electricity is often tried and the use of cold 
water in the form of showers, compresses, and so 
on, is attended with good results. 

CONSEQUENCES 

M^any serious consequences result from a con¬ 
dition of constipation. Headache, furred tongue, 
foul breath, and loss of appetite are often trace¬ 
able to it. 

A good point to remember is the desirability of 
fully evacuating the bowels just before the men¬ 
strual period. It will oftentimes relieve the pain, 
for the generative organs are congested at this 
time, and there will be less pressure upon the 
sensitive parts if the bowels are freely moved. 

The girl who is constipated often suffers from 




174 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


lassitude, debility, and mental depression without 
realizing what the trouble is. Injury to the en¬ 
tire body as well as to the intestines themselves is 
apt to result from the accumulation of waste 
matter which ought to be thrown off. 

In constipation certain poisonous substances are 
absorbed from the intestines and carried through 
the organism. They go first to the liver and then 
to the general circulation, and we then have the 
condition which you call “ biliousness.” These 
poisons are more apt to be formed when the in¬ 
testines are inactive. 

I know of a girl who was obliged to drop her 
college course from ill health. Her mind, espe¬ 
cially, was affected, due, it was said, to over-study. 
She was thought to be insane. She was taken 
from one eminent physician to another, but with¬ 
out relief, until finally one discovered that the 
whole cause of the trouble was an obstinate case 
of constipation. After the correction of this con¬ 
dition, her normal health and clearness of mind 
returned, but she had lost her college course. 

Not only does constipation often affect the 
mind, but it leads to various other serious condi¬ 
tions, such as appendicitis, hemorrhoids, dropsy 
of the legs, dilatation of the rectum, intestinal 
obstruction, torpid liver, jaundice, palpitation of 




CONSTIPATION 


i75 


the heart, neuralgia, sciatica, irritating cough, 
earache, insomnia, diseases of the genital organs, 
and constant noises and rollings in the abdomen, 
which are so extremely annoying to many girls. 
Constipation is the cause in many instances of the 
condition popularly called “ poor blood.” 

In treating this trouble, the cause must first be 
removed. A girl should attend to this function 
at least once daily at a regular hour, whether the 
desire is present or not. Whenever there is an 
inclination, respond at once—never delay. 

Never read at this time. Be careful about 
your daily exercise. Never overtax your mind. 
Be careful of your food and drink. Breathe 
plenty of fresh air both day and night. Do not 
take purgatives such as violent pills and patent 
medicine. 

But many physicians believe, and I think 
rightly, in a dose of castor oil, one or two table¬ 
spoonfuls as a routine practice about once a 
month. Headache is often cured by a dose of 
castor oil. It is generally admitted that although 
the bowels may move regularly once a day, that 
there is now and then room as it were for a 
special house-cleaning. 

There is a story told of an ancient physician 
who stood at the head of his profession in his own 




176 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


time. His friends were troubled as he advanced 
in years, that he had never committed to writing 
any of his marvelous knowledge. They feared 
that it would die with him. They appealed to 
him to write a book. 

He replied that he would do so upon the con¬ 
dition that it was not to be opened until after his 
death. 

He ordered a special tome for this purpose and 
after he had passed away it was opened with the 
greatest reverence. 

Instead of closely written pages, the book was 
blank, with only these words upon the fly-leaf: 
“ Keep your head cool, your feet warm, and 
your bowels open; this is the whole of med¬ 
icine.” 

The waste matter that is eliminated from the 
bowels is made up in great part of the indigestible 
elements of the food. Those having a tendency 
to constipation, as well as those in whom it is 
already well developed, should eat a large per¬ 
centage of coarse food. Due regard must be 
paid, however, to those cases of unusual irrita¬ 
bility which have already been mentioned, in 
which this diet cannot be used. Coarse food 
forms the stimulus which incites the bowels to 
action. 




CONSTIPATION 


177 


Attention to the regular movement of the 
bowels will not alone bring health, but beauty is 
to a great extent dependent upon the perfect func¬ 
tion of these organs. The complexion is bound 
to suffer from neglect in this direction. 




U CHAPTER FOURTEEN U 


THE PERIODIC ILLNESS 


Average age. Climatic conditions. Symptoms. Question ot 
exercise. Simple remedies. Bathing. 


tJ 


T HE average age of the beginning of the 
menstrual function is about thirteen or 
fourteen years. It sometimes begins 
several years before, and again it is sometimes 
delayed until several years later. As a rule if 
the general health continues good no concern 
should be felt at irregularities of this nature. 

This function lasts till the average age of about 
forty-five years, though in certain cases it is 
known to have ceased when the girl was still in 
her twenties. There are also remarkable cases 
on record of its lasting to the period of old age. 

This flow takes place, as a rule, once in every 
twenty-eight days and normally lasts from three 
to six days. These periods also are subject to 
certain variations in different individuals. How¬ 
ever, in the individual there should be regu¬ 
larity. 

178 




THE PERIODIC ILLNESS 


179 


The quantity of flow is greater in city bred 
girls and in those of leisure than in girls of the 
hard-worked laboring classes. Anything that 
over-stimulates the mind or body has a tendency 
to increase the flow. High living, rich food, 
dancing, vigorous physical exercise, extreme emo¬ 
tion—all, as a rule, have this effect. 

Girls in warm climates menstruate earlier and 
more profusely than those in cooler climates. 

The symptoms of this condition are well 
known. The nervous system is then always at its 
highest point of tension. There is very apt to be 
pain in the abdomen and back. Some girls are 
hysterical at this time, and a girl is often drowsy 
and frequently depressed. 

These symptoms are very apt to develop a day 
or two before the flow appears. There is a dis¬ 
taste, as a rule, for active exercise. The girl 
suffers from lassitude and general discomfort. 

If you have a serious question under considera¬ 
tion, it is just as well not to make the decision 
during the menstrual week. 

There is not infrequently a headache on one or 
more days, during this period. Dark circles ap¬ 
pear under the eyes. In certain cases the breasts 
become swollen and painful. 

These symptoms, however, are not alarming, 




i8o BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


although they should not be allowed to grow to 
an extreme. 

Watch yourself carefully during these periods 
and if you observe that you are unusually irrita¬ 
ble, keep a tighter grasp on your self-control and 
try to appreciate the fact that you are not quite 
your best self. 

If the world looks dark and people appear un¬ 
friendly, remember that you are being influenced 
by your physical condition, and do not pass judg¬ 
ment until you are feeling more nearly normal. 
You will then generally find that the world is 
just as bright and your friends are just as loyal 
as you had believed them before. 

If you learn to observe yourself carefully you 
will notice that the better your general condition, 
the less you are disturbed at this period. 

The uterus is so loosely held that any abnormal 
condition in the organs about it may easily dis¬ 
place it. The bladder then should be attended to, 
and the bowels should be kept free, as a distended 
bladder or a packed bowel may result in a dis¬ 
placement of the uterus and consequent pain and 
misery. 

It is very dangerous not to empty the bladder 
every few hours. I know of a ca&; in which a 
young girl went horseback riding. She had not 





THE PERIODIC ILLNESS 181 


attended to this function and the bladder was dis¬ 
tended to such a degree that the violent exercise 
resulted in its rupture. 

If you are fairly well and comfortable during 
the menstrual period, a moderate amount of 
gentle exercise, such as your daily walk, may be 
taken without injury. You should be well pro¬ 
tected from the weather. But if you suffer pain 
I think it an excellent plan to lie in bed for the 
first day. You will notice a great difference at 
the next period if you take good care of yourself. 

Excessive muscular exercise should certainly be 
avoided. So should the use of all stimulants 
which promote the flow and sometimes cause it to 
be excessive. Excessive flow is sometimes due to 
thinness of the blood. If the flow continues to be 
excessive there is probably some diseased condi¬ 
tion and a physician should be consulted. 

Painful menstruation is also abnormal. It is 
sometimes due to exposure to wet or cold. A 
drink of hot tea or water, a mustard foot bath, 
the application of a hot water bag and rest on the 
back should be the treatment. If the pain, how¬ 
ever, recurs from month to month, a physician’s 
advice should be sought. 

The subject of bathing during menstruation is 
one concerning which there has been very little 




182 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


real knowledge. Various authorities differ, some 
holding one view and some another. 

An eminent specialist in this subject, Dr. J. 
Clifton Edgar, has recently made a thorough 
study of the effects of different kinds of bathing, 
and has written numerous letters to physicians, 
nurses, and others having many girls under their 
observation. He has kindly shown me his paper 
as yet unpublished. My own personal views 
agree with the consensus of opinion of the 
authorities on this subject. The ignorance of 
people, in general, as well as physicians, in this 
matter is very striking. Strong traditions have 
been handed down to us through the years, that 
bathing must be carefully avoided during this 
period. The customs among primitive people 
in regard to this subject are very much like those 
commonly observed among civilized nations at 
present. 

It seems strange that the Japanese, who at 
other times are so devoted to the bath, forbid it 
during menstruation. 

As in all other matters, personal idiosyncrasy 
has to be carefully taken into account. I happen 
to know two women, mother and daughter,whose 
physical peculiarities vary most widely in this re¬ 
gard. The mother takes a cold plunge with im- 




THE PERIODIC ILLNESS 


83 


panity during the whole period, never changing 
her ordinary habits at this time, whereas the 
daughter is absolutely unable to bathe at all with 
the exception of a little local sponging with warm 
water or alcohol. However, these cases rather 
represent the extremes. 

I believe that there are very few instances in 
which some kind of bath cannot be taken with 
benefit during the whole menstrual period. 
Many physicians believe that the girl may con¬ 
tinue during the entire period the habits of bath¬ 
ing to which she is accustomed. 

Personally, I do not approve of the cold bath 
for the first day or two at least. For every pre¬ 
caution should be taken against a possible chill. 

I do think that the warm or hot tub, if the 
flow is not excessive, may be taken by most girls, 
especially at night, during the whole time. Cau¬ 
tion, however, should always be used in regard to 
the tub bath of any kind at this period. 

It is well known that the secretions at this 
time are apt to have a stronger and more disagree¬ 
able odor than usual. There is sometimes even a 
peculiar body odor which is most unpleasant and 
difficult to avoid. Again, the breath may be dis¬ 
agreeable. 

Remembering these facts, I think too much 




i8 4 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


care cannot be taken to keep yourself sweet and 
dainty. The parts most concerned should be 
carefully washed several times a day. In this 
way you can do a great deal to avoid the unpleas¬ 
antness both to yourself and others incident to 
this period. 

Surf bathing, I feel sure, is always risky. But 
certainly with very rare exceptions a girl should 
take at least, a daily, tepid sponge bath during 
the entire period. It is almost universally per¬ 
fectly safe. 




CHAPTER FIFTEEN 


tr 


BATHING 


Effects of (Afferent temperatures. Shower bath. Sea bathing. 
Sun bath. Air bath. Mud bath. Russian bath. 
Turkish bath. Alcohol rub. Oil rub. Needle bath. 


V 

I T is said that in Japan the death rate is 
lower than it is in either Europe or 
America. There are various factors in the 
life of the Japanese which account for this low 
rate of mortality. 

The houses are off the ground for a foot or 
tvyo, they have no cellars, the air in their houses 
is as fresh as that out of doors, and everyone 
bathes and has a good scrubbing every day—at 
least in such places as Tokio. 

The population of this city is less than 
2,000,000, and from 800,000 to 1,000,000 per¬ 
sons go to the public baths daily, while there are 
tens of thousands of private baths besides. 

The old-fashioned notion of a Saturday night 
tub as a distinct incident in the week’s routine 
is fast passing into oblivion, though we are 
185 




186 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


still occasionally reminded of this rural 
custom. 

One of our most sumptuously appointed hotels 
is said to have harbored the writer of the follow¬ 
ing letter, a young woman, recently arisen to af¬ 
fluence. “ Dear Mary: You should see our 
beautiful apartment. The library is wonderful, 
so bright and cheery; the dining room is a dream, 
and the bedroom so comfortable, but oh! I am 
saving the best for the last. Mary! you should 
see our bathroom. It is so tempting that I can 
hardly wait for Saturday night to come! ” 

In discussing the subject of bathing you need 
perhaps more than in any other department of 
hygiene to exercise great common sense, for what 
will give health and strength to one girl will not 
agree with another. The physician can give gen¬ 
eral directions, which will be of great assistance 
to a girl in choosing the kind of bath best suited 
to her special constitution, but after that she must 
use her own good judgment. Sometimes it may 
be that she will have to vary the kind of bath 
she takes according to the condition of her 
health. 

So many girls ask me, “ Shall I take a cold or a 
warm bath ? ” This will depend entirely upon 
the constitution. Take the bath that makes you 




BATHING 


187 


feel strongest and that takes the least vitality 
from you. Unless there are reasons for not 
doing so, a daily bath of some kind is an ab¬ 
solute necessity for good health. There can be 
only an arbitrary distinction between hot and 
cold baths, but a convenient way of classing them 
is as follows: A hot bath means over 98° Fahren¬ 
heit; warm is between 90° and 98°; tepid varies 
between 65° and 8o°; and a cold bath is any tem¬ 
perature below 65°. 

In considering the effects of a bath, we find the 
three most important to be cleansing, stimulating, 
and soothing. As a rule the property of cleans¬ 
ing seems the most important of these. 

In order to obtain this effect in its highest de¬ 
gree the use of warm water is necessary. You 
should take this bath at least once a week. Do 
not forget to own a bath thermometer, for this is 
a great convenience, and when you decide upon 
the kind of bath that suits you, use your ther¬ 
mometer daily and you can always have the same 
temperature. 

The necessity for soap will depend upon the 
quality of the skin and upon its exposure. If the 
skin is oily and it is exposed to much dust and 
dirt daily, the need for soap will be greater than 
in cases of the opposite character. If the skin is 




i88 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


harsh and dry—that is, lacking in oil—you 
should then use soap sparingly. 

And now what kind of soap is best? For gen¬ 
eral use I like the pure castile. You must re¬ 
member again that what agrees with you may not 
agree with someone else, so the matter of soap is 
also one for individual discretion. For the face 
I approve of the fine French toilet soaps. You 
cannot buy a good soap cheap. Never begrudge 
the money that you spend on a good article. Be¬ 
ware of a cheap soap. 

Avoid highly colored and scented soaps. There 
is apt to be little virtue in so-called medicated 
soaps; the name is usually an advertisement 
merely, and does not guarantee worth. 

Now and then people such as washerwomen, 
who use strong washing soaps or powders, are 
troubled by an obstinate eczema which cannot 
be cured until the cause is removed. 

I heard of a case like this the other day where 
a young girl who served as waitress also laun¬ 
dered the table linen. It was only after the most 
careful investigation that she admitted using a 
powder in the water for whitening the linen. 
Her hands were in such condition that she was 
obliged to wear gloves in her capacity as waitress, 
and her nails were in the most shocking state. 




BATHING 


189 


No treatment did anything to alleviate this con¬ 
dition until the cause of the whole trouble was 
discovered and stopped. 

Some girls suffer from itching or burning di¬ 
rectly after the bath. This affection, called bath 
pruritus, may continue for only a few minutes, or 
it may last for full half an hour. It is confined 
chiefly to the legs. It seems to be increased by 
too long a stay in the water, or by extremes of 
temperature; it also may be caused by soap that 
is too strong. Scratching not only affords no re¬ 
lief, but seems to increase the itching. It is 
noticed most often in people whose skin is natu¬ 
rally irritable and in those in whom there is a 
tendency to hives or eruptions; it is due rather to 
the quality of the skin than to the bath. I have 
oftep noticed it in high-strung, nervous indi¬ 
viduals. 

In treating this disturbance, any nervous or 
digestive trouble ought to be considered. The 
diet should be restricted and the person should 
take plenty of exercise; the bowels should be kept 
in good condition. Directions should be given 
not to remain too long in the bath. The soap 
should be of the best quality and not very 
strong. 

There should be little rubbing after the bath, 




! 9 o BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


but the body should be dried gently, and it would 
be well to apply a dusting powder. 

A good one is composed of starch and zinc 
oxide, four parts to one. Oil is very soothing in 
this affection and should be gently rubbed into 
the parts which cause the trouble; it should be 
sweet and never rancid. Olive oil or the oil of 
benne is excellent for this purpose. 

There has been long and bitter controversy on 
the subject of the proper temperature of the bath. 
The defenders of the cold bath can see no virtue 
in the warm, while those addicted to the use of 
the warm bath see only harm in the cold. There 
seems to be only one point on which nearly all 
modern writers now agree. This is the necessity 
of individual judgment. 

And how can you tell what bath is best suited 
to your own particular case? The proof of the 
effect of a bath is the reaction that follows. If 
this does not take place quickly and with com¬ 
fort the kind of bath should be changed. 

The effect of the cold or cool bath is stimu¬ 
lating. When the water comes in contact with 
the skin the superficial blood-vessels contract, and 
the blood is sent to the internal organs and the 
temperature there is elevated, while that of the 
body surface is lowered. Then comes the reac- 





BATHING 


191 


tion and the skin vessels dilate, the blood rushes 
back to them, and there is a pleasant glow all 
over the surface of the body. 

To bring on the reaction a good rubbing is 
necessary and, indeed, forms one of the chief 
values of the bath. But if the bather feels chilly 
and languid, even if this lassitude does not 
develop till an hour or two after the bath, and if 
the finger tips and the lips are blue, then the bath 
has been either too long or too cold or the bather 
is not in a condition to take a cold bath at all. 
A tepid bath is much better. Cold baths use up 
superfluous energy, and you should decide before 
taking them how much you have to spare. 

An English writer has lately calculated mathe¬ 
matically how much energy is expended in the 
reaction after a cold bath. He compares it with 
climbing up the stairs of a high tower. 

The effects of the tepid and cool baths are the 
same as those of the cold only in a less degree. 
The warm bath is soothing in its effects. The 
superficial vessels of the skin are relaxed, the 
blood flows in and the functions of the skin are 
increased. 

When the temperature of the water is high, 
profuse perspiration is caused, and a very hot 
bath powerfully stimulates the nervous and the 




i 9 2 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


vascular system. It cannot be long borne and 
should be taken only by the advice of a physician 
who is acquainted with your constitution. Many 
of the temporary effects of a very hot sponge bath, 
if it is taken very rapidly, are the same as those of 
a cold bath, while it has the advantage of not 
calling upon the vitality in the reaction. For the 
instantaneous effect of hot water is the same as 
that of cold in contracting the skin tissues. 

If the bath be only moderately warm it acts as 
a sedative to the nervous system and only moder¬ 
ately stimulates the circulation. 

After a hot or a warm bath great care should 
be taken to avoid a chill, for the blood-vessels 
have temporarily lost their tone. Heat has the 
special effect of facilitating the body functions, 
that is, by disposing of the waste matter, and a 
warm bath will do more to refresh one who is 
fatigued than a longer time spent in sleep. 

For those who are engaged in business, 
teachers, physicians, business men, and all those 
whose occupations involve a sedentary life, the 
bath at a temperature of 92 0 to 95 0 is especially 
valuable. The bath may last from fifteen to 
thirty minutes or longer. It is often better 
than hypnotics in cases of insomnia. 

If you are devoted to the cold bath the best 






BATHING 


i93 


time for it is before breakfast. The cold bath 
should be avoided by the aged and by very young 
children, by the debilitated and the weak, and by 
those who are fatigued. Most baths should not 
be prolonged. Ten minutes ought to be enough 
for any cool bath, and you can learn to make it 
shorter. Six minutes is a very good limit for the 
morning bath. If within this time you cannot 
succeed at first in completing it make several at¬ 
tempts, washing only a part of the body at a 
time, and you will find that after a few trials, 
you will succeed in accomplishing it. 

A cold tub bath can be taken in two or three 
minutes, for you need only to jump into the water 
and out and rub yourself dry. It is well before 
a cold bath to drink a glass of hot milk slowly, 
sip by sip, or hot w^ater, for you should be moder¬ 
ately warm and in good condition before taking 
this bath. 

If you are not strong enough for a cold tub 
bath—for it is only very vigorous girls who are, 
and many do themselves lasting injury by this 
kind of bathing—you may be able to take a cool 
or a cold sponge. This is taken by standing in 
a tub with a little warm or tepid water in it and 
rubbing the cold water over the body. The best 
washcloth is the hand. The natural warmth of 





i 9 4 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


the hand gives less of a shock than a cold 
cloth. 

An excellent bath for most girls is a warm one 
followed by a cool sponge or shower. In this 
way you have first the cleansing effect and then 
the stimulating. 

Much criticism has recently been directed 
against the ordinary tub bath. This criticism has 
certainly a logical foundation, for in any form of 
tub bath the bather is practically using his own 
rinsing water. In certain conditions the evil 
effects of a tub bath are considered so important 
that the patient is never allowed to take it. The 
shower bath is substituted. 

A bath which answers about the same purpose 
if you haven’t a shower, consists in standing in 
the tub as described above, and thoroughly scrub¬ 
bing with a brush, hot water, and soap, and 
then rinsing with cool water. When this is fol¬ 
lowed by a run, as referred to in the chapter on 
exercise, you will feel made over. 

The benefit from sea bathing is greatly due to 
the pure sea air and to the relaxation from worry 
which comes in a trip to the seashore. How¬ 
ever, there must be a certain virtue in the water 
itself. 

I have seen a girl even in good health who was 




BATHING 


i 95 


not able to take a sea bath without being chilled 
for an hour or so, and I have seen this same girl 
with her hands perfectly numb after coming out 
from a ten-minutes’ plunge. In such a case sea 
bathing must not be indulged in, as the individual 
is not robust enough. 

A tepid or warm salt bath is very stimulating. 
It can be easily taken at home. Sea salt can be 
procured in large bags at any druggist’s and when 
put into the bath makes a very good substitute 
for a sea plunge. If you are neuralgic, thin 
blooded, or very nervous, and especially if you 
have a weak heart you should avoid tub baths. 
A handful of wet salt briskly rubbed over the 
skin is invigorating. 

In seasonable weather an excellent place to 

take a sun bath is at the seashore. For here, not 

/• 

only can we have the benefit of the sun, but we 
can also come very near to the strong heart of 
mother earth, whose healingqualities she so freely 
imparts to those who repose upon her bosom. 

In one of the most charming of modern tales 
you remember how the little hero crept out from 
his sick bed to lie in the dust of the road in the 
sunshine, and was found here in his first peace¬ 
ful sleep by those who had despaired of his 
life. 




196 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


Few of us realize the wonderful, health-giving 
power of the sun’s rays. It is well known that 
people who live in sunless rooms are never really 
well. I have heard that the life insurance rate 
is higher in the case of a man who spends his day 
in a sunless office. 

If you ever go into a hospital you will see that 
the wards are exposed to the sun and air. The 
effect of dark living rooms on the weak or sickly 
is very noticeable. Sunlight is a powerful dis¬ 
infectant and sterilizer. Sun baths have many 
devotees. Either a part of the body may be ex¬ 
posed, or the whole. 

For the thin, pale girl the sun will work won¬ 
ders. And as a remedy for insomnia it is invalu¬ 
able. It causes abundant perspiration, which is 
a great cleanser of the body. 

The general method of taking a sun bath is as 
follows: In our climate the sun bath-room should 
have a southern exposure, with generous sloping 
windows. The patient should lie on the couch, 
uncovered, or with a covering of thin cheesecloth. 
A cot is really better than a couch. The cot is 
placed in front of the window. Care should 
always be taken to protect the head from the 
direct rays of the sun. 

The proper length of the bath varies according 





BATHING 


197 


to different factors, chief among which is the 
physical condition of the individual. The very 
feeble often cannot well bear more than five 
minutes’ exposure, while the robust can stand it 
for three-quarters of an hour. Of course, the 
intensity of the sun’s rays must be taken into con¬ 
sideration. Another factor is the extent to which 
the body is exposed. There is nothing more 
strengthening to one convalescent from a long 
siege of fever like typhoid, or from a weakening 
disease, such as diphtheria, than a sun bath. 

The specific effects of a sun bath are many. It 
is a decided tonic; it acts beneficially on the 
nervous system and upon all the vital functions. 
It is valuable not only in health, but in disease 
as well. 

Mud used for baths generally contains alkaline 
and Saline substances. These stimulate the circu¬ 
lation of the skin. It is said that the constituents 
of the mud simply act upon the skin and are not 
absorbed by it. The patient lies in a tub filled 
with this mud, which is about as thick as mush. 
It is generally employed in cases of gout and 
rheumatism. 

The effect of cold air on the body is about the 
same as that of cold water, though it is less se¬ 
vere. The refreshing effect of this bath can be 




198 beauty through hygiene 


realized from the delight with which we hail an 
ocean breeze on a hot summer day. This effect 
accounts for the use of the fan. Cold air is a 
powerful tonic. One of the first to call atten¬ 
tion to the benefits of this bath was Benjamin 
Franklin. He used to walk about in his room at 
night before retiring after his clothing had been 
removed. 

The air bath may also be taken out of doors, 
within high-walled inclosures which are pro¬ 
vided for this purpose. There is no question 
but that the modern use of clothing hinders the 
proper function of the skin in many respects. 
Clothing retains noxious exhalations which 
should be thrown off. 

Lying in cool, pure air promotes appetite and 
aids digestion, and its beneficial effects are quickly 
felt by those who try it. 

The sand bath is also of value, and can be 
easily taken at the sea shore. When the sun is 
very hot the head should be protected by a cool 
cloth. When the skin is inactive, as is often the 
case in dyspepsia, this bath is very useful. 

The indoor air bath is well accompanied by 
active exercise. It is well to have the temper¬ 
ature from fifty to sixty degrees. It may be 
much lower if the body is protected by a woolen 




BATHING 


199 


blanket; in order to get the best effects it should 
be combined with a sun bath. 

There are various other kinds of baths, 
namely, the Russian, the Turkish, the needle, the 
electric, and the peat bath. 

The las: named is medicinal, and wonderful 
effects are ascribed to it. There is a tradition 
that an Irish physician was the first to discover it. 

The youngest child of a certain peasant’s large 
family, so the story goes, was feeble-minded. 
The mother, instead of feeling tender toward 
the little one, kept it out of the house as much as 
possible, and it was forced to go and sit in the 
neighboring peat bogs. One day the county phy¬ 
sician, on going his rounds, noticed a great im¬ 
provement in the little boy. He asked the 
mother what she had been doing to her child,, 
and £he replied that she did not have time to do 
anything for him; that she had sent him out of 
doors, and he had been playing in the mud. This 
gave the doctor a new idea, and from that time, 
so tradition has it, mud baths have been noted 
for their medicinal effects. 

The Russian is a hot vapor bath, while the 
Turkish is a hot air bath. More perspiration is 
caused by the latter than by the former. These 
baths are followed by the cold spray. The object 




200 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


of these baths is to produce profuse perspiration 
for the removal of impurities through the skin, 
which is stimulated later by the cold water. 

The girl with heart trouble, or one who suffers 
with a full sensation in the head should never 
take a Russian bath, nor should she take the 
Turkish. Neither should those who are not 
strong indulge often in these baths. 

A home substitute for the Turkish or Russian 
bath is the cabinet bath. A small alcohol heater 
is used when the hot air bath is desired. While 
for a vapor bath a shallow vessel filled with 
water, or a prescribed medicated liquid is placed 
over the lamp. 

An alcohol rub is frequently given after the 
Russian or Turkish bath. It is stimulating, and 
there is less danger of catching cold after its use. 

Among the peoples of the northern countries 
the value of sweating is highly appreciated. A 
certain French traveler, named Paulus, has given 
a most interesting account of the steam bath 
that he took in the “ Land of the Long Night.” 
He describes the bath-house as being dark, with 
no light or air except what came in through the 
door. The room was about fifteen feet long 
and about ten feet wide. In the center had been 
piled up a mass of bowlders, which formed a 




BATHING 


201 


structure like an oven. There were several rows 
of seats along the walls; these were made from 
the branches of trees, and were built in tiers like 
seats at the circus. The native boys brought 
wood which they put into the oven and ignited. 

They kept this fire going from morning till 
afternoon, until the bowlders were thoroughly 
heated through. The firewood was replenished 
from time to time. The smoke soon grew very 
thick, so that no one Could stay in the bath-house. 
Late in the afternoon, when the stones were well 
heated, two women went in and cleaned the place 
thoroughly, removing all of the ashes. They 
brought a big vessel which was filled with water, 
and placed it near the oven. Slender birch 
branches were also brought. Finally, the natives 
told Paulus to prepare for the bath by undress¬ 
ing in his room. It was thirty degrees below 
zero, but that made little difference to the young 
Finns. 

When the boys were undressed they ran to the 
bath-house, quickly closing the door after them. 
Water was taken from the vessel and dashed 
over the stones from a large dipper; the steam 
began to rise; more water was used, until the 
place looked like the steam room in a Russian 
bath. Paulus was so much affected by the 




202 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


steam at first that he had to sit on the floor, until 
he became used to breathing the hot air. The 
perspiration coursed down his body in streams. 

Then the boys fell to switching each other 
with the birch rods; more steam was raised, 
and another switching was indulged in, and then 
they were all ready to go home. 

On the way to the house they all rolled in the 
snow, and Paulus pronounced it a delightful sen¬ 
sation. He was warned not to dress until he 
had stopped perspiring, so he walked up and 
down in his room for more than an hour before 
putting on his clothes. He declares that he felt 
like a new man after this experience. 

An oil rub after the bath is very refreshing, 
and is beneficial to the skin. Massage is neces¬ 
sary to knead in the oil, which should be 
perfectly sweet. The best quality of olive oil or 
cocoa butter is excellent for this purpose. 

The needle bath is given in a circular cabinet, 
where there are myriads of tiny pipes, both hori¬ 
zontal and vertical. From these pipes water is 
thrown against the body in fine sprays, and with 
considerable force. The temperature is first 
warm, and then gradually cooled. 

The electric light bath is medicinal, and is ar¬ 
ranged so that the electric light rays are thrown 




BATHING 


203 


either onto the whole surface of the body or a 
part of it. When the current is turned on, heat 
and light are produced. These baths are used 
with great benefit in cases of rheumatism, gout, 
and various joint affections. 




CHAPTER SIXTEEN 




CARE OF THE HAIR 


Growth. Color. Shampooing. Hair tonic. Lotion tor oiiy 
hair. Dry Shampoo. Dandruff. Singeing. Curling irons 
Superfluous hair. Eyebrows. Eyelashes. 


V 


T HE care of the hair is of the greatest 
importance. The condition of the 
hair is often an index of the state of 
the general health, its gloss and beauty depend¬ 
ing, to a very great measure, upon the bodily 
condition of its possessor. One of the greatest 
personal attractions of a girl is beautiful, or more 
truly, beautifully kept hair. 

The hair grows from five to seven inches in a 
year. It grows faster in the summer than in the 
winter. Very interesting work has been done in 
counting the number of hairs on a head. One 
authority has averaged this number as one hun¬ 
dred and twenty thousand. Naturally, the 
coarser the hair, the fewer there will be, as a 
rule, to the same area. 

It is supposed that black hair and light brown 


204. 




CARE OF THE HAIR 


205 


are the coarsest; very light hair as well as chest¬ 
nut is the finest. Red and dark brown come in 
between. 

The hair consists of the root, the shaft, and the 
point. The root is contained in a little bulbous- 
cavity in the scalp called the hair follicle. In 
this little receptacle the hair is manufactured, 
and from this little laboratory it pushes out 
through the surface of the scalp, and continues 
its growth. 

If you take a hair between your fingers and 
rub it from the point toward the root you will 
feel the little barbs, for the outside of the hair is 
made up of cells which overlap each other like 
the scales of a pine cone. The central portion 
of the hair is fibrous, and makes up the larger 
part. To this is due the elasticity of the hair, the 
strength, and, to a great extent the color. It 
has been estimated that one hair will support the 
weight of four ounces on the average. 

The color depends upon two factors—pigment 
and air. The difference in the pigment is due to 
the different proportions of the chemicals which 
compose the coloring matter. 

There are many interesting traditions about 
the sudden blanching of hair, and some well-au¬ 
thenticated, in which hair has well-nigh lost its 




~o6 beauty through hygiene 


color within twenty-four hours. There has been 
much discussion upon this point, and it is very 
difficult to give any reasonable explanation for 
the sudden change. In many cases the gradual 
blanching of the hair is hereditary. It is a nat¬ 
ural process, and cannot be retarded. It gener¬ 
ally begins at the temples and creeps backward to 
the crown. 

It is always much better, even if the hair turns 
prematurely gray, to allow it to take its own 
course, and never to try to conceal its natural 
condition by dye, for many dyes are most in¬ 
jurious and the consequences of their use have 
been sometimes fatal. But in any case, with the 
most harmless dyes, the fact is always apparent 
that the color is artificial. 

Nature, when left to herself, is most apt to 
follow out the laws of harmony, and she so 
changes the rest of the face as to harmonize it 
with the color of the hair. You have all seen 
the effect of defying her in her natural processes. 
You have all seen the face that would be beau¬ 
tiful framed with its own white hair, but which 
was startlingly ugly when surmounted by dyed 
locks. 

An incident is told of a lady whose hair was 
turning gray. She remarked to a friend that she 





CARE OF THE HAIR 


207 


feared that it was caused by the essence of rose¬ 
mary with which her maid was accustomed to 
wash her hair. The friend replied: “ I fear it 
is much more likely to be due to the essence of 
time.” 

Hair never decays; it may last thousands of 
years, as in Egyptian mummies. It has a great 
attraction for water, but this property is counter¬ 
acted by the oil that is poured out upon it. 

Whether hair is straight or curly depends 
upon the shape of its cross-section to a great ex¬ 
tent. The straight hair of the Japanese or native 
American is cylindrical in contour, and when 
cut across gives a circular section. The hair of 
the English-speaking races is oblong, while that 
of the Negro gives an oval outline. These facts 
show*, then, how impossible it is to make curly 
hair out of straight hair, or straight hair out of 
curly, although various lotions have been made 
which will keep the hair in curl temporarily by 
simply stiffening it into shape. 

You have often run a hair between the first 
finger and thumb-nail to see it curl. In doing 
this you have shortened one side, which causes it 
to curl toward that side. This is the principle 
involved in the use of the curling iron. The 
heat contracts one side of the hair, which conse- 




208 beauty through hygiene 


quently causes it to curl toward that side. So it 
is with any form of curler. The cells of the hair 
are crowded together on one side, and curl on 
account of this compression. 

A decoction of quince seeds, which is used as 
a curling lotion, may be made with about three 
teaspoonfuls of the seeds to a pint of hot water. 
Pour the water over the seeds, and allow the 
whole to stand for several hours. This mucilage 
may be thinned a little with water or cologne, 
and a few drops of violet or any other essence 
may be added. Use about two tablespoonfuls of 
cologne for this mixture. The hair may be 
moistened with this fluid before curling. 

It is said that water, in which enough soap 
has been dissolved to make a lather, and to which 
have been added a few grains of potassium car¬ 
bonate to the quart, will make the hair fluffy. 

The natural oil from the scalp is furnished by 
oil glands, of which there are two or more to 
each hair. When the scalp is in a healthy con¬ 
dition no other dressing for the hair is necessary. 

Shampooing or washing the hair should be re¬ 
peated as often as is necessary to keep the scalp 
clean. This may be once a month or twice a 
week. The following is a good method of wash¬ 
ing the hair: First rub the tincture of green soap 




CARE OF THE HAIR 


209 


thoroughly into the scalp with the finger-tips, 
being careful not to scratch the skin with the 
nails. Add a little w T ater to make a good lather. 
White castile soap is very good to use, and 
its lather should be applied after the green soap. 

If your hair is very oily you may use a few 
drops of ammonia. More is apt to dry the hair; 
or you may add a teaspoonful of soda to the 
first basin of water. The rinsing should be care¬ 
ful and thorough. Use several waters until the 
last one is perfectly clear. Dry thoroughly with 
soft, warm towels; never use Turkish towels for 
this purpose, as they are too rough and tend to 
pull out the hair. Always, if possible, dry in the 
sun until every vestige of moisture is gone. 

The sun gives the hair a sheen that it obtains 
in no other way. After drying, the scalp should 
be w^ll massaged with the finger-tips until the 
whole head is in a glow. By this procedure the 
requisites of beauty and health—cleanliness and 
vigorous circulation—have been fulfilled. 

During the whole process it is well to massage' 
the scalp. The polish of the hair is more essen¬ 
tial to its beauty than even its texture or color. 
When sunshine is not available you may use fan¬ 
ning as a substitute. The locks should be shaken 
from time to time during the drying. 




2io BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


In the case of long hair it is well to braid it 
loosely before washing it, as it is not then so apt 
to tangle. The sun bath alone without any water 
may be used, and will make the hair fresh and 
sweet. Ventilation of the hair which comes from 
such treatment is also good. Careful brushing 
does much to keep the hair in good condition. 

If the hair is naturally very dry it is well, after 
the shampoo, to have rubbed into the scalp a little 
bland oil, almond oil, or the oil of benne. This 
is not to be rubbed through the hair, but into the 
scalp. The essential point about the oil is that 
it must be sweet and not rancid, because rancid 
oil acts as an irritant, and even produces diseases 
of the scalp. This treatment will help to nour¬ 
ish the hair and offset any possible unhappy re¬ 
sults of the shampoo. A good hair tonic for 
rather dry hair is as follows:* 

Resorcin, 1-6 of a drachm; castor oil, 12 
drachms; spirit of wine, 5 ounces; balsam of 
Peru, 8 grains. This is to be shaken and applied 
to the scalp every other day. 

A lotion for oily hair is as follows: 

Witch-hazel, 2 ounces; alcohol, 2 ounces; dis¬ 
tilled water, 1 ounce; resorcin, 40 grains. Rub 
this well into the scalp at night. 

An egg makes an excellent shampoo, although 




CARE OF THE HAIR 


21 I 


it is said that the yolk has a tendency to darken 
light hair. 

A simple shampoo is made by dissolving a cake 
of pure castile soap in a quart of boiling water. 
This makes really a soap-jelly, which may be used 
to rub into the scalp when washing the hair. 

If your scalp is tender do not use a shampoo 
containing ammonia, soda, or borax, as they are 
irritating to tender scalps. Beat the yolk of one 
egg with an ounce of spirit of rosemary into one 
pint of hot rain water. Use while warm. 

If your hair is inclined to be dry avoid too 
frequent shampooing. You can remove the soil 
of an average day’s exposure by wiping the hair 
with a towel or running a soft brush through it. 

Now and then you may want to use a dry 
sharppoo. Part the hair in different places, and 
shake onto the scalp powdered orris root or plain 
talcum powder. If this is allowed to remain for 
a short time and is then thoroughly shaken out of 
the hair, it will help to clean it by absorbing the 
oil. But it will not do to repeat this too often, 
as it is not as thorough as the ordinary washing 
of the hair. 

As to brushes, and combs, and hairpins, the 
brush should not be too stiff, although it should 
have bristles of good quality. The wire brush 




2i2 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


must be avoided. The proper comb is coarse, 
with smooth, round teeth, and with round edges 
where the teeth join the back. Sharp and angu¬ 
lar teeth break the hair and injure the scalp. 
Fine combs should never be used. 

Select your hairpins with great care, and never 
use those that are broken or those that have 
roughened edges. Run them through your fin¬ 
gers in order to detect any imperfections. Cel¬ 
luloid hairpins or ornaments are very dangerous, 
as they not infrequently explode when brought 
near a flame. 

Be careful about the use of hatpins. They 
often injure the scalp by scratching it or pressing 
into it. 

The brush and comb should be cleaned once 
a week, by shaking in hot water in which there 
is a little ammonia. The comb should be care¬ 
fully wiped between the teeth. The brush should 
be shaken through the water, being held parallel 
to the surface of the water. If the bristles are 
wiped when they are wet they will dry soft. 
After rinsing, dry thoroughly in the sun with the 
brush standing on its bristles, otherwise the water 
will soak into the back and ruin it. 

After the brush and comb are washed, and 
before they are dried, they should be sterilized. 




CARE OF THE HAIR 


213 


A shallow dish is most convenient for this pur¬ 
pose; into it enough formalin may be put to 
about cover the bristles of the brush. This so¬ 
lution must be used with care. A perfectly harm¬ 
less liquid is a four per cent, solution of boric 
acid in which the brush and comb may be laid 
for ten or fifteen minutes. 

Be most particular never to use the comb and 
brush belonging to anyone but yourself. 

Many causes have been suggested for dan¬ 
druff, and much study has been given to this sub¬ 
ject. A large number of cases of falling hair 
are caused by this trouble, which is, undoubtedly, 
due to micro-organisms. Several striking in¬ 
stances of contagion of this disease have been 
cited by various specialists. The patient should 
alyays be told of the possibility of re-infection, 
for this disease may be carried by hairpins, combs, 
brushes, hats, sofa pillows, etc. 

It will depend upon the particular form of this 
disease as to its correct treatment, for no two 
cases should be treated exactly alike. General 
suggestions, however, may be given. The scalp 
should first be cleansed, and, as in washing the 
hair, tincture of green soap is an excellent prep¬ 
aration to use. The only trouble about its use 
is that it is difficult to get a pure article. 




214 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


For very dry hair, sodium iodide of sulphur 
soap, manufactured in Germany, has proved ex¬ 
cellent, and in the case of oily hair, a pure white 
soap gives good results. Re-infection should be 
prevented. 

As to the loss of hair after a fever, dandruff 
has frequently caused it. The shaving of the 
head after a fever is to be strongly advised 
against. The hair is very apt to fall out when 
the nervous system is affected, for when the mind 
and body are healthy the scalp is generally in 
good condition. 

The Blue-coat School boys in London prove to 
be remarkably free from premature baldness. 
While attending this institution they are never 
allowed to wear their hats. 

Light is a natural stimulus to the hair. Pres¬ 
sure on the head from any source hinders the 
circulation. Pressure of the hands, while sup¬ 
porting the head in study, is bad. 

An old time dandruff remedy is: 

Bay rum, five ounces; tincture of cantharides, 
one ounce; olive oil, one ounce. 

At night the hair should be carefully smoothed 
out and braided in two braids. It is well to 
change the position of the hair at night from its 
arrangement in the daytime, and it is a good 




CARE OF THE HAIR 


215 


plan to change the style of arranging the hair 
from time to time, so that one part of the head 
need not continuously bear the strain and weight 
of the hair. Do not keep the part in the same 
place all the time, but shift it about, as that will 
prevent it from growing broad. 

The popular idea of singeing the hair because, 
as it is wrongly said, each hair is hollow, and so, 
when split or broken, bleeds at the end, is a 

fallacy. If the hair is inclined to split the ends 

should be carefully clipped. This will help to 
stop the splitting, but it should never be singed. 

Hair should be treated very carefully. In 
combing your hair never pull it roughly, or rake 
out the snarls. If the hair is fine and tangles 
easily, take time enough to separate the snarls 
with your fingers. If you grasp the comb be¬ 
tween the thumb and the first two fingers, and 
carefully draw it down the length of the hair, 
you cannot exert enough force to do any harm, 

and two or three gentle efforts of this kind will 

generally disentangle most of the snarls, without 
pulling out the hair, as is often done by rough 
treatment, and if you value the beauty of your 
hair, as before mentioned, never use a wire brush, 
as this breaks the hair and pulls it out. 

The idea that the hair must be brushed a cer- 




216 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


tain number of times—forty, or fifty, or a hun¬ 
dred, as I have heard girls insist was necessary, 
in order to keep it in a good condition—is a fool¬ 
ish one. Brushing distributes the natural oil 
which comes from the scalp, down over the hair, 
and very gentle manipulation with a few strokes 
of the brush is all that is necessary to accomplish 
this. Massage of the scalp is treated in the chap¬ 
ter on massage. 

In arranging the hair never use “ rats,” or 
false hair of any kind, because they will neces¬ 
sarily overheat the scalp and injure the growth 
of the hair. Never tangle the hair by combing 
it the wrong way in order to make the pompa¬ 
dour stand up. This also is injurious, as the hair 
is much more apt to be broken off when combed. 

Incessant use of the curling irons is most in¬ 
jurious, as it takes the life out of the hair, and 
splits the ends. If you roll the hair in any way, 
do it loosely, as it is injurious to draw it too 
tightly from the head. 

Superfluous hair, to a greater or less degree, 
is most annoying to girls. If the hair is dark it 
can be made quite inconspicuous by the use of 
hydrogen peroxide. The spots where the hair 
grows should first be cleansed with hot water and 
soap and a little ammonia in order to take off all 




CARE OF THE HAIR 


217 


of the natural oil, as this hinders the action of 
the peroxide. After the washing, the hydrogen 
peroxide is applied with a soft cloth. It will not 
destroy the hair, but it will make it far less no¬ 
ticeable. In order to entirely remove superfluous 
hair electrolysis is the only sure and permanent 
method, for depilatories, when strong enough to 
kill the hair, certainly are too strong to apply 
to the skin without great risk of its injury. 

Electrolysis consists in putting the electric 
needle down into the hair follicle in order to 
destroy it. 

This treatment, if in the hands of an expert 
physician, will accomplish excellent results at 
once, with very little discomfort. 

Look at your eyebrow, and you will see that 
t^ie upper hairs stand downward, while the lower 
hairs have an upward slant. They have been 
compared to sheaves of corn standing up 
against each other. Now look at the eyelashes, 
and you will see that they are in distinct rows 
on the edges of the lids. Sometimes you may find 
as many as four. 

In the case of eyebrows that are shaggy, or 
that grow the wrong way, much may be done 
to train them. In making the toilet, they 
should be gently combed into shape. This will 





218 beauty through hygiene 


make a great difference, especially with eyebrows 
that are heavy. If they persistently grow in 
the wrong way a little decoction of quince seed 
may be used at night to paste them down into the 
normal curve. The very expression of the face 
may be changed by the shape of the eyebrow. A 
delicate, curved eyebrow is a mark of beauty. 

The oil glands attached to the eyelashes are 
generous in size, and their secretions prevent 
the lids from sticking together. They also keep 
the tears, unless they are formed in great abun¬ 
dance, from overflowing the lids. 

Be careful in wearing glasses not to jam the 
eyelashes up against them, for this will stunt 
them and spoil their shape. 

The hairs in the nose serve the purpose of a 
sieve in purifying the air which we breathe; to¬ 
gether with the warm lining of the nose they 
cleanse and warm the air before it reaches the 
lungs. 




tJ CHAPTER SEVENTEEN CT 


CARE OF EYES, NOSE, AND EARS 


Eye strain. Foreign body in eye. Attitude for work. Exercises. 
Hygienic precautions. Shaping the nose. Toilet of the nose. 
Care of the ear. Noises in the ear. 



HE eye is, perhaps, the most expressive 
feature of the face. No care that 
you can expend upon any part of the 


body will give you greater returns in beauty and 
health than that devoted to this organ. 

Have you ever thought what a blessing it is 
tha/t you have tw’o eyes? So, if one is injured, 
or the sight of it is lost, you still have the other 
to depend upon? Of course, the sight of one 
eye only is not equal to that of two, because the 
field of view of objects on the blind side is lim¬ 
ited by the body of the nose, and because with 
both eyes we see objects in their proper relations 
to each other as in a stereoscope. 

There is no organ that is more abused than 
the eye. How many of you really take good care 
of them? In any trouble with the eyes, never 


219 




220 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


go to an optician for treatment. This is the 
province of the oculist. 

If your eyes are perfectly healthy it is never 
necessary to bathe them continually. I am often 
asked which is better, cold water or hot water, 
for this purpose. If either is necessary, it is bet¬ 
ter to consult an oculist. 

In any inflammation of the eye which comes 
on suddenly, cold water retards and soothes it, 
but after the trouble has continued for some time, 
very hot water will relieve the pain and reduce 
the swelling. If you feel that you must bathe 
the eye, the most convenient method is to use a 
little eye cup. This has an oval mouth which 
fits around the eye, at the margin of the orbit. 
The eye can then be opened into the lotion, what¬ 
ever this may be, and winked. A weak solution 
of boracic acid, say three per cent., may be used 
safely; this must be fresh and clear, however, but 
the tears are the natural method of cleansing 
this organ. 

One most important point to remember is to 
change the accommodation of the eye from time 
to time, especially if your work is close and con¬ 
fining. And this means simply looking out of 
the window; and it rests the mind as well. 

The Indians are noted for their fine range of 




EYES, NOSE, AND EARS 


221 


vision. It is because they use their eyes both for 
close work, such as basket-weaving and bead- 
stringing, and also for gazing about long 
stretches of country, as they roam from place 
to place. 

There are two sets of muscular fibers which 
dilate »and contract the pupil. One set is ar¬ 
ranged in circles around it; the other set radi¬ 
ates like the spokes of a wheel outward from the 
pupil. 

The first set may be compared to a string 
which draws the mouth of a bag together. The 
other set draws the iris (the colored part of the 
eye) from the center, and thus enlarges the pupil. 

When it becomes necessary to wear glasses, 
there should be no hesitation in assuming them. 
One of the symptoms of eye strain is watering 
of tlie eyes. If your eyes water easily it is prob¬ 
able either that they are weak or that there is 
some trouble existing with the tear duct. 

Again, in eye strain the lids sometimes twitch, 
or they may be very sensitive to light, or letters 
may become indistinct after a few moments’ read¬ 
ing. There are many other symptoms of eye 
strain, one of which is sick headache. 

Some girls are troubled with dark spots danc¬ 
ing before the eyes. Sometimes these indicate an 




222 BEAUTY THROUGEI HYGIENE 


internal derangement. Sometimes they are the 
result of extreme nervousness, but they are often 
present in healthy eyes. 

The state of the general circulation may be 
judged by the appearance of the eyelids. The 
dark rings around the eyes, as referred to before, 
indicate sluggish circulation, or even blood 
changes. Swelling or puffiness under the eyes, 
the so-called “ bags,” are often the sign of some 
internal disorder. It is not uncommon to notice 
that the edges of the lids are red, or that there 
are little scales at the root of the lashes. This 
may mean that you have used the eyes too much, 
or have not slept enough, or it is often a sign that 
the eyes are strained and need glasses. 

The eyebrows and lashes are both a great pro¬ 
tection to the eye, the former preventing per¬ 
spiration from rolling off of the forehead, and 
the lashes forming a screen of protection from 
the floating particles of dust. After a bruise, the 
“ black eye ” shows that the blood has poured 
out into the loose tissues of the lid. Immediately 
after the discoloration begins, it is well to apply 
ice-cold compresses to prevent further escape of 
blood from the vessels. When the trouble has 
existed for several days, heated compresses will 
help the absorption of the hemorrhage. 





EYES, NOSE, AND EARS 


223 


When you get anything into the eye, in order 
to get it out the lower lid should be pulled down, 
the eye should look down toward the floor and 
slightly toward the nose. If nothing is found in 
this part, then the upper lid can be turned back, 
and search made here. Take the tiny corner of a 
linen handkerchief and gently lift the body from 
the eye. Or a very simple method is to grasp 
the eyelashes of the upper lid between the finger 
and thumb, and gently pull the lid down over 
the lashes of the lower lid. In this way the 
lashes of the lower lid may sweep the upper lid, 
and so dispose of the cinder or particle of dust, 
and here the use of the eye cup and boracic acid 
may be very helpful. 

If you ever rub the eye, always rub toward 
the nose, never toward the temple; and you 
should be careful about rubbing the eye at all, 
as it is a bad habit. From this, inflammation 
sometimes follows which may lead to injury of 
the sight. 

The attitude while working is of great im¬ 
portance to the eyes. The head should be kept 
as erect as possible. Stooping is very bad for 
the eyes. Fine needlework is also very trying, 
and reading, while riding either in a train or car¬ 
riage, may be harmful, for the constant move- 




224 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


ment of the book or paper calls for a continual 
change of focus, and so increases the strain. 

You should apply the same principles of rest 
to the eye which you use for other parts of the 
body. If your work is close during the day rest 
your eyes at night,but if your work has been “far 
distance ” work, you can read during the evening. 

Remember that the general health has much to 
do with the eye. One reacts upon the other; 
the eye and the general constitution. 

The foolish practice in which some girls in¬ 
dulge, of applying belladonna to the eyes in 
order to stimulate their brilliancy, is most perni¬ 
cious. 

A certain set of exercises are suggested for the 
eyes, and are said to strengthen them. They 
consist in slowly turning the eyes upward and 
downward, from right to left, as far as possible, 
and from one corner of the orbit to the other. 
Then alternate the motions. 

The eyes are then rolled around, first to the 
right, and then to the left. In going through 
these athletics for the eyes, the muscles should 
never be strained. 

An excellent movement to keep the ball of the 
eye round is to gently rub it toward the center 
with the tip of the thumb and forefinger on either 




EYES, NOSE, AND EARS 


225 


side. But if any of these manipulations makes 
the eye in the least red or sensitive, it is far better 
to avoid them. 

Of course you know that in writing the light 
should always fall over your left shoulder, 
because of the shadow otherwise cast by the hand 
or the pencil. It is never well to have light 
shine on the eyes from above. At night you 
may shield them with a shade that comes for 
this purpose. There is no better headgear for 
the summer time than the picturesque sun-bonnet 
that is worn in the South. 

It is not advantageous to work in a subdued 
light, although many girls believe this to be true. 
The best light for most work is daylight, but 
when artificial light must be used, it should be 
steady and bright enough to illuminate the work 
we have to do, without dazzling the eyes or over¬ 
heating the room. 

As to the kind of lights in use, kerosene is 
largely employed in country districts. The lamp 
has now been brought to such a stage of per¬ 
fection that when it is shaded by a slightly bluish 
or green shade its illumination is very satisfac¬ 
tory. 

The gas which we usually find in cities has 
such an excess of yellow rays that it is apt to 




226 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


be hard on the eyes. The Argand burner is 
very good, but it is very hot. The incandescent 
mantle that is so largely used in these days is a 
wonderful improvement in gas lighting. It 
should be carefully shaded. 

Any light that flickers, such as candle light, 
is very bad for the eyes. Electricity will, un¬ 
doubtedly, in time become the general means for 
illuminating. 

Even the window shades in the room where 
we use our eyes have an influence upon them. 
The best colors for these shades are any dull or 
neutral tones. It is much better to have two 
at each window, so that either the upper or lower 
part, or even both, may be shaded as you wish. 

A well-known oculist sums up as follows the 
necessary hygienic precautions in reading: The 
type should be of good size, well spaced, on un¬ 
glazed paper, and in short columns. The light 
should be sufficient, the position of the reader 
should always be upright, leaning slightly back¬ 
ward, with head erect, and the book held nearly 
on a level with the eyes. If it is very heavy it 
should be supported on a rest. The closer an 
object is held to the eyes, the greater is the mus¬ 
cular and accommodative strain. 

The ordinary distance of the type from the 




EYES, NOSE, AND EARS 


227 


eye for reading is about fourteen inches. You 
should never read type, however, that you cannot 
clearly see at twenty inches. The oft-heard 
warning against reading when lying down is 
emphasized, because correct position and arrange¬ 
ment of light are so frequently disregarded. 

Reading when lying down is bad, unless the 
head and shoulders are supported and the same 
precautions taken concerning light that are ob¬ 
served in the erect posture. 

Continual looking upward is just as fatiguing 
as reading when lying flat on the back. 

Veils, if worn at all, should be thin, with a 
very large mesh. Very thick veils or dotted veils 
are bad for the eyes. 

Here is an ancient rhyme about the eye, which 

we find quoted in a recent book on beauty: 

/• 

THINGS HURTFUL TO THE SIGHT. 

“ Much bathing, blust’ring winds, and wine 
And wounds, or any serious blows, in fine, 

With lentils, pepper, mustard, also beans, 

Garlic and onions—by such hurtful means, 

With too much labor amid dust and smoke, 

Weeping or watching fires, we thus invoke, 

With long exposure to the noonday sun, 

The diresc wrongs -hat can to sight be done j 
But vigils are, by far, more noxious still 
Than any form of single-mentioned ill.” 




228 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


THE CARE OF THE NOSE 

Perhaps we have less to do with the appear¬ 
ance of the nose than with that of any other 
feature. However, during the years of growth, 
the shape of the nose can be molded at will to a 
very considerable extent. 

In adult life much can be done to give the 
nose a fine outline at the tip. Wiping the nose 
on one side with a handkerchief over the finger 
is very detrimental to the fine lines of the nostril. 
The nostril is easily stretched out of shape. It 
will recover its natural lines to some extent with 
appropriate treatment. If there is serious de¬ 
formity the treatment then becomes a surgical 
operation. 

The same advice may be given in the case of 
the nose as is given in relation to the ear. Let 
it alone. Unless you have special directions 
from a nose specialist you should never douche 
the nose in any way. The mucous membrane of 
the nose was not made for water. 

When in a normal condition it would scarcely 
ever need the use of a handkerchief, but in our 
ordinary climate there is such a great tendency 
to catarrh that handkerchiefs are most neces¬ 
sary. 




EYES, NOSE, AND EARS 


229 


There is a pretty little tradition * that the 
handkerchief was never in evidence among polite 
people, until one of the French queens became 
afflicted with catarrh. Since that time its ordi¬ 
nary use has been considered quite proper. 

However, the toilet of the nose, as far as 
possible, should always be carefully performed in 
private. Carelessness in this regard is a most 
disagreeable habit, and great attention should be 
paid to this detail. It is well to blow the nose 
on waking, as a routine measure, but hard blow T - 
ing of the nose is never good, and is sometimes 
very detrimental. 

If you are troubled in any way with obstruc¬ 
tion to breathing, go at once to a nose specialist, 
and let him give the proper treatment. Such 

affections often lead to very serious results. 

/ 7 - 

THE CARE OF THE EAR 

I can’t think of any better advice in regard to 
your ears than to say, the less you do to them 
the better. 

If you feel in any way that they are not in 
good condition, instead of experimenting with 
them yourself, you should go at once to an aurist. 
Such habits as picking at the ear with hairpins, 
or washing them out, or putting anything into 




2 3 o BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


them, as%weet oil, or doctoring them for ear¬ 
ache at home, are all too dangerous to* be in¬ 
dulged in. 

If, however, you are not where you can consult 
a doctor, and an insect should crawl into your 
ear, the best way to get rid of it is to fill the ear 
with oil. The insect will then generally back 
out, though a syringe full of water may be neces-* 
sary to wash him out. 

If you know that you are going to hear a 
very loud sound, it is well to open the mouth, 
as the shock will then be neutralized. 

If you have the earache, it is always wisest 
to consult an aurist. Rest in bed, with a light 
diet, generally brings comfort in this trouble. 

Noises in the ears are most annoying, and 
sometimes resist all treatment. They are often 
associated with deafness, and should therefore 
receive due attention. 

Some girls have the practice of wearing bits 
of cotton in the ear. This is a very bad plan. 
Of course there are certain cases in which the 
ear is very sensitive to cold; this might then be 
allowed, if one was to be exposed for several 
hours, but the constant habit of thus protecting 
the ear is a very bad one. 

The opening of the ear varies widely in differ- 




EYES, NOSE, AND EARS 


231 


ent people. The wider the opening, naturally 
the greater the sensitiveness of the ear to cold. 
Even a thin veil is a great protection in such 
cases. The ear can be carefully wiped out when 
it is washed, with the tip of the little finger 
covered with a soft handkerchief. No water 
should be allowed to get into it. This process 
will do no harm, and will keep that part of the 




u 


CHAPTER EIGHTEEN 


V 


THE CARE OF THE MOUTH AND 
TEETH 


Biting lips. Lip cream. Care of teeth. Diet. Tooth powder. 
Injurious medicin»6. The breath. Mouth breathing. 

The voice. Purity of speech. Lip exercises. 


V 


T HE mouth forms an important part of 
the expression of the face. The 
muscles of the mouth are like those of 
the rest of the body, molded by habit. The 
habit of amiability and contentment gives to the 
mouth its greatest charm. No artificial tint 
ever added beauty to this feature. Like all 
other artifices it can always be detected, and 
makes the face coarse. It also makes the mouth 
appear broader, and injures the texture of the 
lips. 

The bad habit that so many girls have of 
biting their lips to make them red, thickens 
them and dries them so that they become chapped 
and colorless, and lose their delicate curves. 

The formula for a dainty cream to use on dry 




MOUTH AND TEETH 


233 


and cracked lips is: Almond oil, one-eighth 
pound; white wax, one-half ounce; spermaceti, 
one-half ounce; oil of almonds bitter, one-twelfth 
drachm; oil of geranium, one-eighth drachm. 
These ingredients are to be well mixed, and the 
cream may be applied whenever the lips require 
it. 

Nothing adds more to the beauty of the 
mouth than well-cared-for teeth. Their good 
condition has much to do with the state of the 
general health, for without thorough mastica¬ 
tion of food perfect health is impossible. The 
care of the teeth should begin with the first set. 

The teeth should be examined not less than 
twice a year by a competent dentist. 

They should be washed with lukewarm water 
before breakfast, after each meal, and before 
retiring. There are so many excellent denti¬ 
frices that it is hard to decide which is best. 
It is a good plan to ask your dentist’s advice, 
as he is well acquainted with the particular 
character of your teeth. 

Precipitated chalk is always good, and may be 
rubbed about the gums after eating anything 
acid, and also before retiring. It will relieve 
the sensitiveness of the teeth which is so common 
at the margin of the gums. 




234 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


An antiseptic is also indispensable. It helps 
to preserve the teeth and also keeps the breath 
sweet. Peroxide of hydrogen is a good anti¬ 
septic mouth wash. It also bleaches yellow teeth 
and whitens them. Dilute alcohol is a refresh¬ 
ing antiseptic for the mouth. Powdered pumice 
stone used once in a while is excellent for re¬ 
moving stains. 

An extremely important item in the care of 
the teeth is the use of dental floss always after 
eating. This, together with a soft orange wood 
or quill toothpick, will remove every particle 
of food from the teeth. 

Use a brush with bristles that are neither too 
stiff nor too soft, and brush the teeth on all 
sides, the inside as well as the outside, and do 
not neglect the flat crowns of the back teeth, 
for there are many crevices there where food 
may lodge. The brush is also useful in stimu¬ 
lating the circulation of the gums, but it needs 
gentle handling. It is better to brush the teeth 
downward from the gums than crosswise along 
the line of the gums. 

A mouthful of milk of magnesia taken every 
night before retiring, allowing it to penetrate into 
every nook and cranny of the mouth, will cor¬ 
rect any tendency to acidity, and prevent the 




MOUTH AND TEETH 


2 35 


decay which comes from chemical decomposi¬ 
tion. 

A noted medical writer advises an occasional 
cleaning of the teeth with common salt. The 
gums should also be rubbed. Do not allow tartar 
to accumulate upon the teeth, as its elfects are 
disastrous. 

Diet has an important bearing on the condition 
of the teeth. If gluten flour were substituted 
for the fine white flour in common use, dentists 
would fare badly. Coarse breads might well 
replace the ordinary white bread of daily use. 

Lime water—a tablespoonful in a glass of 
milk or water—contributes to the strength of 
the teeth. 

Avoid exposing the teeth to extremes of tem¬ 
perature. Very hot and very cold substances 
have a tendency to crack the enamel. Never use 
a metal instrument of any kind in the mouth, 
and neither bite thread nor crack nuts with the 
teeth. 

A very good and simple formula for tooth 
powder is made up of equal parts of precipitated 
chalk and powdered orris root. To this may be 
added any flavoring essence that may be desired. 

A bit of orris root chewed in the mouth will 
impart a very delicate fragrance to the breath* 




236 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


Medicines that injure the teeth are the liquid 
preparations of iron and the mineral acids. Such 
medicines should always be taken through a 
glass tube. They should also be diluted, for 
when they are strong enough to injure the teeth 
they also will injure the stomach. Too strong 
acids should be avoided. The reason that sweets 
are injurious to the teeth is on account of the fer¬ 
mentation that takes place. When these sub¬ 
stances lodge between the teeth the heat of the 
mouth has a chance to act upon them. 

It is well, especially in the morning, to gently 
wipe off the tongue with a damp cloth or soft 
tooth brush, as the cavity of the mouth harbors 
many microbes and impurities. 

THE BREATH 

It is a great trial to a girl to realize that her 
breath is unpleasant. It is, perhaps, a greater 
trial to others, when they realize the fact and 
she doesn’t. In health the breath is nearly odor¬ 
less, but there is a slight sweet odor about the 
skin margin around the nostrils. Each person 
has a characteristic nasal odor. The more 
refined the person, and the higher in the 
scale of civilization, the more delicate is the 
odor. 




MOUTH AND TEETH 


237 


Offensive breath is merely a symptom, how¬ 
ever extreme it may be. It may occur at any 
time of life. It is present under many different 
circumstances. 

The odor of the breath is temporarily modi¬ 
fied by many causes. Mental emotion often 
exerts a marked influence over the odor of the 
breath. This is not strange, for mental disturb¬ 
ance is so powerful that it may prevent the nor¬ 
mal elimination of waste products, so an extra 
burden is thrown onto the lungs with resulting 
foul breath. 

As a rule, the person who has unpleasant 
breath is conscious of its presence. When caused 
by emotion there is generally a pasty taste in the 
mouth also. Such girls are commonly high- 
strung and nervous. 

Sick headache is often accompanied by a bad 
breath. 

Perhaps the most frequent cause of an impure 
breath is dyspepsia, either gastric or intestinal. 
The'hurry, worry, and excitement characteristic 
of this age are greatly to blame for this condi¬ 
tion. 

Overwork, sedentary habits, and the habit .of 
“ bolting ” food all have a tendency to cause 
this disturbance. 




238 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


In chronic constipation the odor of decompos¬ 
ing organic matter is very marked. 

There are certain local causes for this afflic¬ 
tion—affections of the mouth, nose, throat, and 
lungs. 

Decayed teeth also give rise to foul breath. 
It is not the decay alone to which the odor is 
due; the decomposition of food which is left 
in the cavities, *and between the teeth, is the 
chief cause. 

Tartar and certain microbes found in the 
mouth are sometimes the cause of unpleasant 
breath. 

You can see that even though your teeth may 
be perfectly sound there is great necessity for 
carefully cleaning them. 

Mouth-breathers, whose nostrils are not well 
open, often suffer from bad breath. 

Sometimes this trouble exists when no cause 
can be found for it. 

In treating it, the cause must first be discov¬ 
ered, if possible, and removed. If the gums are 
spongy or receding, a tooth wash containing 
myrrh is helpful. The best care should be taken 
of the teeth. If the stomach is at fault, asida 
from special treatment, a bit of charcoal may be 
taken soon after meals. An .excellent mouth- 




MOUTH AND TEETH 


239 


wash is: Thymol, seven and a half grains; borax, 
fifteen grains; distilled water, one pint. The 
mouth is to be rinsed frequently with this solu¬ 
tion. 

MOUTH BREATHING 

Did you ever stop to think how you breathe? 
Do you know that as a rule we are actually too 
lazy to breathe properly? Well, we are, and 
so we do much to impair the beauty of both 
form and figure. 

Have you not often noticed the ugly mouth 
breather? This habit of breathing through the 
mouth is unattractive enough in children, but 
even more so in girls. 

It was one of the trials of my youthful days, 
when I was out walking in the evening with my 
father, to have him say, as he always did when 
I began to talk: “ Keep your mouth shut in the 
night air! ” I have often thanked him for it 
since from the bottom of my heart. 

Nose breathing and deep breathing are most 
important and magical aids to health and beauty. 
There is a little volume entitled, “ Shut your 
mouth and save your life .” Rather startling, 
isn’t it? But it is as true, as startling things 
often are. 





2 4 o BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


“ Breathe through your nose, and keep your 
hearing till you die.” 

The deformity of the whole face resulting 
from habitual mouth breathing can be prevented 
by appropriate medical care in childhood. 

Nasal breathing is the best preventive of colds 
in the head (the nose strains out the bacteria 
from the air). 

Deep nose breathing cannot be too often prac¬ 
ticed when in the open air, and the purer and 
clearer the air, the deeper you should breathe. 
Try this once, and it will really become a pleas¬ 
ant pastime, and its results will soon become 
apparent in your straighter shoulders, better de¬ 
veloped chest, clearer skin, and sweeter breath. 

It is really better than any magic youth re¬ 
storer in the market. It is truly the best “ elixir 
of life ” that we can use, while it will not en¬ 
croach upon the purse at all. Just give this a 
fair trial and see how easy the habit becomes. 

THE VOICE 

The voice of the American girl is noted for 
being unpleasant in quality. The nervous tem¬ 
perament that is so characteristically American 
has a great deal to do with the tense, strident 
tones that are so usual in our girls. 




MOUTH AND TEETH 


241 


The rasping nasal tone that is so common in 
many voices is often due to catarrhal trouble. 
This is caused by our climate, with its sudden 
changes of temperature. It is especially notice¬ 
able in the inhabitants of the middle and north¬ 
ern States. 

Some little English girls, who were living in 
Paris in order to acquire the French language, 
were not allowed to play with children who 
spoke English. One day after their outing they 
announced with great glee to their mother, that 
they had had such a beautiful time playing with 
some little girls whom they met in the Park. 
“Did they speak French?” asked the mother. 
“ No,” said the children. “ Did they speak 
English?” she asked. “No, mamma,” said the 
children, “ they didn’t speak English at all— 
they spoke Auntie Tobey’s language.” Need I 
tell you that “Auntie Tobey” was an American? 

It has been well said that in the treatment of 
the defective voice the first consideration is the 
general health. The girl who wishes to culti¬ 
vate her voice, and make it soft, sweet, and low, 
must pay proper attention to diet, bathing, cloth¬ 
ing, exercise, and rest. 

Have you ever tried to detect the difference 
in the tones of your own voice when you 




242 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


were feeling well and when you were feeling 
ill? 

The voice is an excellent index of the state 
of both health and spirits. It is almost impos¬ 
sible, unless a special effort is made, to speak in 
a generally cheerful tone when you are feeling 
depressed or ill. The voice naturally falls into 
a minor key and expresses itself in plaintive 
tones. 

Perhaps the most essential factors in the at¬ 
tainment of a beautiful voice are proper breath¬ 
ing and carriage. The clothing must not be 
tight, or the breathing cannot be normal. 

It is said that the resonant quality which gives 
richness to the tones of the voice comes only 
from diaphragmatic or deep breathing, and one 
of the claims of the East Indian for deep breath¬ 
ing is the production of a beautiful voice. 
Through proper breathing is the throat relaxed, 
thus leaving the vocal cords free to do their best 
work unobstructed. 

No voice in itself is harsh; the quality of the 
voice depends upon the management of it. 

A beautiful voice is always even in tone, 
whether low and modulated, or loud and strong. 

One of our great singers says that the work 
with a pupil’s voice begins with her feet. In 




MOUTH AND TEETH 


243 


other words, she must have a correct poise, for 
proper carriage is essential to normal breathing 
and so to pure tone. After poise is attained, try 
always to speak on a full breath. You will 
notice the difference between the tone produced 
upon a full breath and that which is given out 
on an insufficient amount. 

Aside from the imperfect tones of the Ameri¬ 
can voice there are various faults of speech 
which are commonly heard. It is a good plan 
to listen to a number of girls talking at the 
same time. Notice them at an afternoon tea. 
Most of the voices at such a gathering are shrill, 
high-pitched, and strained. The utterance is 
rapid, the words are clipped, the pronunciation 
is often otherwise faulty. 

There is a slovenliness about the enunciation 
which is very marked. Slang, too, and extrava¬ 
gance in speech are most common. Girls who 
are a little hungry are “ starved almost to 
death.” Other girls are “horribly glad”; 
again, some are “ hideously tired.” 

Drop slang, drop provincialisms, and mispro¬ 
nunciations. 

It isn’t necessary to be affected in order to 
obtain purity of 'speech, but it is one of the 
great, and alas! unusual attractions of the well- 




244 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


bred woman. There are some people who judge 
a woman almost entirely by her voice, and, in¬ 
deed, it is an excellent index of character and 
breeding. 

There is a reaction between the voice and the 
spirit. If the voice is kept well modulated, it 
will have a beneficial effect upon the disposition. 

In an interesting contest in which several girls 
of different nationalities took part, each in turn 
spoke into a phonograph. By this means the 
voices were to be judged. 

The English girl was awarded the first prize, 
the Russian came next and received the second 
prize. The French and Italian girls both re¬ 
ceived honorable mention, but, alas! the Ameri¬ 
can girl had to be content with a consolation 
prize! 

Even in early times the Athenians formed 
classes for the cultivation of the voice. 

It is necessary that the lips be mobile and 
flexible in order to form a tone correctly. A 
very simple set of exercises for the lips is the 
pronunciation of the vowel sounds, “ ah-oh,” 
“ ah-oh-ee,” “ ah-oh-ee-oo.” These exercises 
should be enunciated ten times each, and they 
should be practiced at least ten times a day. . 

They not only make the lips facile, but they 





MOUTH AND TEETH 


245 


also exercise the muscles of the lower part of 
the face. Beauty of voice and mouth are gained 
through these lip exercises. 

An excellent practice sentence given at one 
of our famous schools for vocal culture is, “ most 
men want poise and more royal margin.” 

The French have a far keener appreciation of 
the importance of such practice than we have. 
Those on the French stage use numerous exer¬ 
cises to increase the nimbleness of the tongue and 
the mobility of the lips. 

One of our beautiful singers has said that 
“ the vocal instrument is like an organ, the dia¬ 
phragm, while inhaling and exhaling, acting as 
the bellows, the throat doing service as the pipes 
through which the air is carried to the reson- 
atbrs, while the tip of the tongue and the lips 
in enunciation may be likened to the keys with 
which the tones are produced. With her respi¬ 
ration natural and noiseless, every woman has 
a perfect and tuneful instrument at her com¬ 
mand.” 




CHAPTER NINETEEN 


U 


CARE OF THE HAND AND FOOT 


Ill-treatment of the hand. Exercises. Stains. Odors. Chapped 
hands. Care of the nails. Care of the foot. Corns. 
Chilblains. Bathing. Cold feet. 

XJ 

CARE OF THE HAND 

E VEN if your hands are not naturally 
beautifulyou can do a great deal towards 
making them pretty by proper care. 
This does not mean that you should never use 
them, for our hands were made to serve us, and 
they are one of the distinguishing marks between 
the higher and the lower animals. 

Girls sometimes abuse the joints of their fin¬ 
gers by pulling them out and cracking them. 
They sometimes show you with great glee how 
** double-jointed ” they are, and pull and twist 
the delicate fingers into all sorts of contortions. 
The effects of such foolish practices are lasting. 
If you persist in them you will soon observe that 
24-6 




HAND AND FOOT 


247 


your fingers are no longer slender and pretty, 
but misshapen and ugly. 

Another foolish habit that some girls have is 
to keep the hands continually in motion. Fuss¬ 
ing with your hair, or your stock, or your belt 
will soon grow to be second nature if you allow 
yourself to indulge in it. Drumming with the 
fingers on the table, or on the arm of your chair 
is most disagreeable to those about you. 

And right here, do remember never to handle 
things which are intended only to be looked at, 
especially delicate needlework or fine china, or 
anything that may be injured by handling 
or dropping. It is the first instinct and a 
great temptation when you are looking at any¬ 
thing to put your hands on it, but remember— 
don’t! 

A very simple but excellent exercise for the 
fingers is to move them just as if you were trying 
to spin a ball. 

Piano playing is fine exercise for the muscles 
of the whole hand. The skillfulness of the 
hand is well developed by writing. 

When you wash your hands, do so thor¬ 
oughly; do not dab them into water and out 
again, merely grinding the dirt into them. 
When you wipe them, do so carefully and thor- 




248 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


oughly. It is from careless wiping that one 
often gets chapped hands. 

Never expose your hands to extremes of tem¬ 
perature. Neither very cold nor very hot water 
is good for them. Use warm water, and be sure 
that it is soft. If you cannot get rain water, 
and the tap water is hard, put a few drops of 
ammonia, or a pinch of borax, into it. This will 
soften it. 

Do not use a cheap soap on your hands any 
sooner than you would on your face. Lather 
your hands well with the soap and warm water, 
and if a brush is necessary to cleanse the nails it 
may be used. Rinse thoroughly in clear water, 
and partly dry with a soft tow T el, which easily 
absorbs the moisture. Then rub a few drops of 
glycerine and rose water thoroughly into your 
hands, and complete the drying. 

In the winter it is a wise precaution to powder 
the hands after washing them. Use any good 
face powder. Simple talcum powder is good, 
or a powder made of prepared chalk, seventy- 
five parts; zinc oxide, twenty-five parts. A 
little bran or oatmeal, if put into the water, has 
a softening effect, and makes the skin velvety 
and pliable. Almond meal is also excellent for 
this purpose. 





HAND AND FOOT 


249 


For removing ink stains from the fingers dip 
a sulphur match into the water and rub it on 
the stain. This is very efficient. Or lemon 
juice and salt may be used. Peroxide of hydro¬ 
gen with a few T drops of ammonia is very good 
for removing stains from the hands. Pumice 
stone, too, is valuable. It is useful in smoothing 
off a finger roughened with sewing. After using 
this rub on a little cold cream. 

When the hands are shrunken from long soak¬ 
ing in water, dipping them into vinegar or pour¬ 
ing it over the hands will restore them to their 
natural color. 

If the finger-tips are stained from hulling 
berries hold them in the fumes of a sulphur 
match, and the stains will disappear. 

The unpleasant odor that clings to the hands 
after handling onions, or codfish, or the like, may 
be dissipated by rubbing dry mustard over them; 
or put the hands into water containing mustard. 

Rubber gloves afford great protection if you 
do housework, especially in winter, but it is 
well not to wear them too long at a time, as they 
are apt to draw the hands. 

If your hands become very much chapped and 
red you can rub them with a good cold cream 
at night, after washing them thoroughly, and 





550 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


then draw on loose white gloves with the finger¬ 
tips clipped off. 

Be careful not to wear gloves that are too 
tight, for they ruin the beauty of the hands by 
hindering the circulation. You cannot pay too 
much attention to your hands and to your gloves. 
They are a telling index of the character of their 
possessor. 

Perhaps nothing adds to the appearance of 
the hands more than the condition of the nails. 
These should be most carefully attended to. 
They, too, like the hand in general, are very 
indicative of abnormal states of the body. 

It is well known that illness has a decided 
effect on the growth of the nails. Sometimes 
ridges which are quite prominent develop during 
an illness. 

Many girls are much disturbed about the tiny 
white spots which sometimes appear on the sur¬ 
face of the nails. These are often due to injury, 
and I have often noticed that girls who carefully 
press away the skin from the root of a nail with 
a steel nail-file are very much annoyed with 
these blemishes. After ceasing this treatment 
the spots have gradually disappeared. 

It cannot be said, however, that injury is al¬ 
ways the cause of these little marks. But if you 




HAND AND FOOT 


251 


are troubled with them I would advise you to 
be careful not to bruise the nails in any way. 
I would never advise the use of the nail-file for 
any purpose but that of filing the nail. Never 
use it for cleaning, but substitute an orange stick 
or a soft wooden toothpick. Use this also for 
pushing the skin away from the root. 

If you are troubled with the skin adhering to 
the nail, or if your nails are brittle, make a prac¬ 
tice of rubbing vaseline or a good cold cream or 
cocoa butter into the nails all about the roots. 
Do this every night and in a few weeks you will 



/- 


Fig. 21.—Manicure set. 


surely see an improvement. In this way agnails, 
improperly called hangnails, may be prevented. 

The nails should be manicured once every 
week, but you can easily train yourself to be 
your own manicure. You do not need a variety 
of instruments: A nail-file, a pair of curved nail- 
scissors, an orange stick, a chamois polisher and 






252 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


a little box of nail-powder are the essentials of a 
manicure set. 

First dip your fingers into warm, soapy, soft 
water. It is well to pour a few drops of 
cologne or aromatic vinegar or compound 
tincture of benzoin into the bowl. After a few 
minutes, when the nails are softened, file the tips 
into a curve so that the whole nail will approach 
the shape of an almond as nearly as possible. 

After the filing, the soft stick should be used 
for gently pressing the scarf skin away from the 
“ half-moon,” and every little point where the 
skin is attached should be gently loosened in 
order that the nail may have its normal room for 
growth. 

After the nails are thus put into good condi¬ 
tion, they should be carefully dried and plain 
vaseline rubbed thoroughly into them before the 
powder is applied. Then polish them with the 
chamois, being careful not to heat the nails with 
the friction. Rinse the nails once more, dry and 
rub them finally with a little fine powder. 

THE CARE OF THE FOOT 

A pretty foot is one of the greatest attractions 
that a girl can have, and it is acknowledged that 
the American girl possesses as handsome feet as 




HAND AND FOOT 


253 


the girls of any other nation of the world, but 
it is also acknowledged that, with the exception 
of the Chinese, the women of no other nation 
abuse their feet as do the Americans. 

The foot, like the hand, is flexible, mobile, elas¬ 
tic, and sensitive to touch. Perhaps its most im¬ 
portant characteristic is its elasticity. This is 
due to a certain extent to the number of 
bones and joints which compose it, but in great 
measure to its arched construction. 

I once asked a girl what she would like to 
find if she took up an article on the foot. She 
promptly replied, “ I would like to read all 
about corns, for they are the torment of my life.” 
The ancients used often to hit upon very appro¬ 
priate terms, and they certainly did in the mat¬ 
ter bf corns, which they called “ clavus,” mean¬ 
ing a nail. 

You all know what a corn looks like—an in¬ 
verted cone with the apex pointing inward. 
This point presses upon the nerves and thus the 
pain is caused. It is well known that persons 
afflicted with these growths can often rely upon 
their feet to foretell an approaching storm, as if 
they were barometers. This is due probably to 
the increased sensitiveness of the nerves in humid 
weather, for the atmospheric pressure is low 




254 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


when the humidity is high, and this permits an 
increased pressure of blood in the skin which 
compresses the ends of the nerves. 

Corns are most often found on the upper sur¬ 
face of the toes, but also occur on the bottom of 
the feet and between the toes. In the latter 
case they are called “ soft corns,” and this variety 
is frequently especially painful. 

The corn should be relieved from all pressure. 
For this purpose the perforated corn-plasters may 
be used, or a disk of white kid or chamois with a 
hole in the center. The feet may be soaked in 
hot water and the corn picked out, but no instru¬ 
ment should be used which has not been boiled. 
A good lotion for corns is composed of salicylic 
acid and collodion. Soft corns should be pro¬ 
tected by a bit of linen placed between the toes. 
Sprinkle the linen with powdered alum or 
tannin. 

Painful corns on the bottom of the foot may 
be treated by putting several layers of adhesive 
plaster in a kind of cushion over the corn. This 
device keeps the corn protected from friction, and 
it will gradually disappear. 

Bunions are the result of great pressure and 
friction on the joint, most frequently the large 
one of the great toe. If not atetnded to, this in- 




HAND AND FOOT 


255 


flammation may even lead to destruction of the 
bone, for which a surgical operation is necessarj^ 

The joint should be relieved of all pressure. 
If possible, a loose slipper should be worn till the 
inflammation has subsided. The bunion can be 
protected, like a corn, with a kid disk. 

A good lotion to use is carbolic acid, tincture 
of iodine and glycerine, two drachms of each. 
This is applied with a camel’s-hair pencil every 
day. 

Callosities of the sole and heel are often very 
painful and sometimes actually cripple the suf¬ 
ferer. Frequent bathing and rubbing often 
suffice to keep these formations from being 
troublesome. A smooth piece of pumice stone or 
a file may be used to shave off the thickened skin. 
Before applying either of these remedies it is 
well to rub the spot with cold cream. 

The nails of the foot should be kept as dainty 
as those of the hand. 

Ingrowing nails come from ill-fitting shoes. 
They are most painful and may become so serious 
as to prevent walking. This affection may re¬ 
quire surgical interference. Before reaching 
this stage it is well to cut the nail short and 
square across, or slightly concave. The painful 
point may be lifted up by a tiny pledget of cot- 




256 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


ton; or if the neighboring toes press against each 
other painfully, they may be held in place and 
the pressure relieved by a band of adhesive 
plaster. 

Chilblains occur especially upon the hands and 
feet, and most often affect anaemic girls. As 
you know, the suffering from them is sometimes 
intense. They may often be cured by wearing 
cotton stockings all the year round. If the ex¬ 
posure to cold has been severe enough to cause 
frost-bite, warmth should be slowly restored by 
rubbing the part with cold water or snow. If 
there is a tendency to this trouble every winter, 
the general health should be built up, warm 
clothing worn, and the circulation stimulated 
with alcohol rubs or salt baths. A good oint¬ 
ment to apply is five per cent, carbolic ointment, 
or twenty to fifty per cent, solution of ichthyol 
or balsam of Peru. 

Some girls have trouble with fissures which 
appear generally either between the toes or on 
the heel. The former are due to acid perspira¬ 
tion or to lack of bathing. 

When this trouble occurs on the heel, the sides 
of the crack may be drawn together and held 
with adhesive plaster. Cold cream, glycerine, 
or zinc oxide ointment may then be applied. 




HAND AND FOOT 


257 


When fissures occur between the toes, the feet 
should be carefully washed and a bit of gauze 
wet with tincture of myrrh placed between the 
affected toes. If there is much moisture, a 
dusting powder may be used. 

The feet should be bathed both morning and 
evening, followed by careful drying. Rubbing 
is very refreshing to tired feet, while a bath in 
cologne will tone them up wonderfully. This 
bath, or one of camphorated oil, will also 
strengthen tender, sensitive feet. 

A good bath for tender feet is composed of 
5 quarts of hot water, 200 grams of boric acid, 
and 5 grams of tannin. The feet should be 
soaked in this bath for 10 minutes. Dry them 
thoroughly and then rub with cologne water. 

If/, your feet are sore after a long walk or vig¬ 
orous exercise, massage them with olive oil. 
They respond to care very quickly. If your 
feet swell from long standing, dissolve 1 ounce 
of alum, 2 ounces of rock salt, and 2 ounces of 
borax in the bath. 

For any soreness or reddening of the skin of 
the foot, zinc ointment is efficacious. 

If you cut your foot in attending to the nails 
or in paring corns, bathe it at once in an antiseptic 
solution such as boracic acid. 




258 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


You will find powders for the foot in the 
chapter on Perspiration. 

If you suffer from cold feet you may be sure 
that your circulation is not in good order. Foot 
and ankle exercises are good for this condition. 

Stretch the toes down to the extreme limit, 
then work the feet up and down vigorously sev¬ 
eral times. Again shake them from the ankles 
as you do the hand from the wrist in devitaliz¬ 
ing it. 

If the feet are cold in bed, these exercises will 
soon warm them up. Flannel lining may be 
used in the winter boots, and cold feet may be 
wrapped in warm flannel at night. Constant 
use of the hot water bag makes the feet sensitive. 

A system of arches and piers are formed by 
the bones of the feet in such a way that the 
greatest weight can be borne with the least 
strain. 

Queen Wilhelmina’s foot is noted for an arch 
so high that it is a common saying among her 
subjects that a stream of water can flow under it 
without touching the foot. 

If you wish to know if you have a flat foot dip 
your foot in water and then put it down on a 
piece of paper or board, and if the arch is broken 
the print will show the whole bottom of the 




HAND AND FOOT 


2 59 


foot. If the foot is normal there will be a big 
scoop at the inner side for the arch. 

Flat or splay foot is generally caused by 
weakness, combined with long standing, and 
especially from the unfortunate habit of turn¬ 
ing the foot out. 

Walking seldom induces this trouble, as this 
tends to strengthen the foot. It is often neces¬ 
sary to wear a brace made of metal or leather, 
to support the foot; or shoes made with a stiff 
side, called the Spanish last, are very helpful. 
The pain from flat foot is often severe, but may 
be relieved, if you are obliged to stand, by turning 
the feet inward. In any trouble of this kind 
you should consult an orthopedist, as he may 
save you many months or years of suffering by 
timely and intelligent attention to this trouble. 
Any deformity such as clubfoot or hammer toe 
should likewise be referred to an orthopedist. 

The more one studies the foot and its ex¬ 
tremely delicate mechanism, the more one is im¬ 
pressed with the great injury that is caused by 
badly fitting shoes, especially by high and nar¬ 
row heels that are set so far under the foot that 
they come almost in the center. 

To keep the feet from deformities, proper 
shoes and stockings should be worn. Stockings 




26 o beauty through hygiene 


should be made rights and lefts, with straight 
inner edges, just as the shoes are, and the digi¬ 
tated stocking aids much in preserving the 
beauty of the foot. This is made with a sepa¬ 
rate compartment for the great toe, which keeps 
it from coming into contact with the other toes. 
I think that less trouble comes from wearing 
cotton stockings at all seasons than from any 
other material. The weight should vary with 
the weather. Colored merino stockings will 
sometimes make the feet very tender. 

Stockings should not be too snug. They 
should be elastic and large enough to allow for 
the expansion of the foot in walking. The foot 
may become distorted so gradually by gentle 
pressure that you will be conscious of no pain. 

Short stockings are as pernicious as short 
shoes. 

The shoes should fit the feet perfectly, and if 
you cannot buy a satisfactory ready-made shoe 
you would far better do without something else 
and have your shoes made to order. There 
should be no spring or bending upward of the 
front of the shoe. 

As to the heel, it should, as a rule, be moder¬ 
ately low and broad. Shoes, when first worn, 
should fit, for, if properly made, tight shoes will 




HAND AND FOOT 


261 


not stretch. The shoe should be three-fourths 
of an inch longer than the foot, for the foot 
works forward in walking. Short shoes force 
the toes back, and finally the joints become dis¬ 
torted and bulge out on the sides and above, and 



Fig. 22.—“ Letting his feet breathe.” 


thus corns, bunions, and other disorders are de¬ 
veloped. 

Careful attention should be paid to the care of 
the shoes. Trees made on your last will pre¬ 
serve the shape if used in the shoes when they 
are not worn. Walking-shoes should not be 







262 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


worn in the house, neither should the same pair 
be worn on consecutive days, thus giving them a 
chance to air. Abraham Lincoln used to slip 
off his shoes when he had the chance, “ letting 
his feet breathe,” as he said. 

When not in use, the shoes stretched on trees 
should be placed upright in an airy closet. 

If the shoes are cleaned every day and oiled 
once a month they will last much longer. Oil 
them especially on the soles and about the stitches 
where the uppers join the sole. This makes 
them waterproof for winter. For this purpose 
pure neatsfoot or castor oil is good. 

The heels should always be kept in good re¬ 
pair. Rubber heels will prevent the jarring that 
comes otherwise from the contact of the heels 
with the floor or pavement. Always keep the 
shoes well polished. 

The neat shoe stamps the well-bred girl as no 
other part of her dress, unless it be the glove; 
while a careless, slovenly shoe will spoil the effect 
of the most elaborate gown. 

The habitual wearing of high-heeled shoes 
leads to shortening of the calf muscles and finally 
to breaking down of the arch. 

Light shoes are doubtless one cause of varicose 
veins. They may also predispose to chilblains 




HAND AND FOOT 


263 


and frost bite. The Chinese call the poor dis¬ 
torted little feet of their girls “ Golden lilies.” 

Aside from the evil effects of badly-fitting 
stockings and shoes the bedclothing brings a 
strain on the ligaments and bony structures; con¬ 
sequently, in sickness, when the feet are weak 
and least able to resist distorting influences, 
cradles should be used to lift the weight of the 
bedding from the feet. 

Rubbers should always be taken off as soon as 
you enter the house; as they are impervious to 
air they do not allow for the ventilation of the 
feet. 

The shape of the normal foot can be seen in 
the young infant. The toes are straight, while 
the great toe stands away slightly from the 
others; The two feet when laid together side 
by side are in contact throughout their whole 
length. This is most exceptional in the case of 
the adult. The proper shoe should be straight 
on the inside like the infant’s foot. When this 
contour is compared with the leather case—the 
modern shoe—into which the foot is squeezed, 
it is easy to see “ why the shoe pinches.” 





CHAPTER TWENTY 


r? 


CLOTHING 


Proper clothing. Materials. Care of clothing. Union suit. 
Hose supporters. Corsets. Health waists. Color. 

Dye. Hygienic hints. 


u 


H AVE you ever thought how much more 
sensible your brothers are in respect to 
their clothing than you are? Oliver 
Wendell Holmes says in his inimitable way: 
“ Woman is under the guidance of a higher law 
than any relating to her individual safety.” He 
continues: “It is in virtue of this extreme in¬ 
difference to consequences, this sublime contempt 
of disease and death, as compared with the loss 
of the smallest personal advantage,—that woman 
has attained the power of resistance to exposure 
which so astonishes the male sex. Think of her 
thin shoes and stockings, her bare or scarcely 
protected neck and arms, her little rose-leaf 
bonnet, by the side of the woolen socks, the 
layers of flannel and broadcloth, and the warm 
hats and caps of her effeminate companion! 

264 




CLOTHING 


265 


Our cautions are of no use, except to the fragile 
sex—our brothers in susceptibility and danger.” 

I know a girl who for several months has 
had a very hard cough, and still night after night 
I see her sitting in a draught wearing a dress 
with a “ transparent neck.” Many girls have 
a hard lesson to learn in the subject of clothing. 

Probably the best all-round material for wear 
next to the skin is wool. It prevents sudden 
formation of perspiration and it absorbs con¬ 
siderable moisture without feeling wet. Evapo¬ 
ration from it takes place slowly; thus a chill is 
avoided. 

It certainly is the safest material to wear in 
the winter. It should be light and loose. It is a 
great protection to the vital organs of the trunk. 
You ^11 know that in the tropics our soldiers are 
advised to wear woolen abdominal bandages. 
A great advantage of wool consists in the air 
which it holds in its meshes. This is the prin¬ 
ciple on which the mesh underwears are made. 
Any material, no matter what it is, woven so as 
to be loose-meshed will retain in its interstices 
a layer of air which is a great protector. 

In the summer, although a very thin weight of 
wool can generally be worn with comfort, and 
certainly with advantage in our changeable cli- 




266 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


mate, cotton, linen, and silk all have their place. 
Linen is generally the favorite in temperate 
climates. Cotton is warmer than linen. Silk 
stands next to cotton for warmth. 

When material is porous, it allows emanations 
from the skin to pass out through it. Wool 
readily absorbs odors. This should be remem¬ 
bered, and the greatest care should be taken, 
therefore, to keep it sweet and clean. 

Clothing worn next to the skin should be fre¬ 
quently washed in order to remove the fatty 
and saline matters which are thrown off by the 
skin, as well as any microbes which may be there. 
Clothing should be well aired, for damp clothes 
offer an excellent soil for microbes, and are fav¬ 
orable to certain skin diseases. Never wear at 
night what you wear in the day time. Take off 
each article, shake it well and hang it over a 
chair by itself so that it can air for hours. 

The union suit is the hygienic shape for the 
first garment. Two of its advantages are the 
even distribution of weight and the lack of 
awkward fullness at the waist. 

I am not advocating any system of clothing, 
but it is well for you to study this question in¬ 
telligently for yourselves, and to arrange your 
manner of dress so that you will wear as few 




CLOTHING 


267 


heavy clothes as possible. In the winter eques¬ 
trienne tights will give you warmth and you can 
dispense with all but one skirt. 

Your skirt should be so hung that you will not 
feel its weight. It may be fastened to the corset 
waist for this purpose. 

A very bad habit that many girls now have is 
that of pressing the waist line down. This may 
look “ stylish ” to you, but it certainly is not 
good for your internal organs. 

If you wear hose supporters they should not 
be fastened to a waist band, but they must be so 
adjusted as neither to draw down the shoulders 
nor press on the abdominal wall. 

Concerning corsets, you have probably heard 
much discussion as far back as you can remem¬ 
ber./- Personally, I do not approve of them, 
though they are said to have certain advantages. 
Great improvements in these garments have been 
made in recent years. 

Any one of the various health waists that are 
now on the market I think is well substituted 
for the corset. However, take care if you wear 
these waists to bend over only at the hips. You 
must cultivate “ Nature’s corsets,” if you are 
going to wear waists. Strengthen all of the 
muscles of the trunk—especially about the waist. 




268 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


If you had seen, as I have, deep grooves in the 
liver of a woman who has worn tight corsets for 
years, you would learn not to “ break in two ” 
when you don’t wear them. The ordinary corset 
acts to your body as a splint acts to a broken 
arm. The capacity of your lungs is lessened. 
The action of your heart is impaired. 

Examinations made by a master of physical 
culture give the average lung capacity as 134 
cubic inches with corsets; as 167 cubic inches 
without corsets. Shortness of breath and palpi¬ 
tation of the heart are often due to the use of 
corsets; so are many diseases such as dyspepsia, 
nervous troubles, neuralgia, displacements of im¬ 
portant organs, and lung and heart diseases. 

The corset exerts its pressure not only upon 
the chest, but upon the stomach and abdomen as 
well. Circulation is impeded by it, and thus 
there is an accumulation of carbonic acid and a 
retention of waste matter in the blood. Such a 
condition acts directly on the nervous system. 
One reason why women faint more easily than 
men is because of restriction of the chest by 
corsets. 

If you feel that on account of the weight of 
your bust you are not able to do without this 
garment, use one of the many bust supporters 




CLOTHING 


269 


with a corset waist, and you will find this diffi¬ 
culty obviated. 

Stockings and shoes have been discussed under 
“ Care of the Foot.” 

I cannot say too much against the use of the 
round garter. It is productive of much harm. 
It greatly impedes the circulation and often 
causes varicose veins. 

Dark colors are warmer than light colors. 
This accounts, as a rule, for dark clothes being 
worn in the winter and light clothes in the 
summer. 

Care should be taken in regard to dye in cloth¬ 
ing—especially in stockings, for as a rule other 
clothes that come next to the skin are undyed. 
Dye in stockings may cause extreme annoy¬ 
ance'. 

Those of you who are fond of art, and have 
made a study of symmetry, know well the distor¬ 
tions caused by many of our articles of modem 
dress. The beautiful figure is the figure that 
Nature gave us. 

The reason why the Japanese girl is such a 
wonderful athlete is because her body has been 
unhampered for generations. She can wrestle 
easily with her brother at any time. 

Clothes should never be tight in any part. 




270 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


Tight, high collars and stiff collars are respon¬ 
sible for many of our ugly necks. 

Conspicuous clothing is never in good taste. 

Avoid the combination of many colors. 

In the street wear skirts that do not drag. 

Do not wear hats that are a burden to both 
body and mind. 

When you are well and comfortably dressed 
you have a feeling of poise, which helps you to 
forget yourself. You can then give your best 
attention to the work that lies before you. 




CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE 


DIGESTION AND DIET 


Mastication. Dyspepsia. Candy eating. “ Punch-bo.wl ” epi¬ 
sode. Cooking. Various articles of food. 

Water drinking. 


N OTHING conduces more to health 
and long life than abstinence and 
plain food, with due labor. When 
exercise is wanting—as in studious persons— 
there is greater need of abstinence, and tender 
persons ought to use as much abstinence as 
the^ possibly can. As to the amount of food, 
Nature requires no mathematical exactness. A 
plain rule for judging of the quantity is, not to 
eat so much as indisposes for business.” * 

The digestive system plays as important a part 
in longevity as do the respiratory and circulatory 
systems. Only general rules, however, can be 
laid down, for each girl is a law to herself— 

* “ Essay on Health and Long Life, by George Cheyne, 
printed at the Golden Ball over against the Royal Exchange in 
Cornhill, 1725. ’’Quoted from Crandall’s u Howto Keep Well-’* 




272 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


within certain limits. Meals should be, if pos¬ 
sible, taken at the same hour every day, and 
plenty of time should be given to them. It is 
very bad for the digestion to have the nervous 
system called off to attend to other matters. 

Mastication should be thorough. I think that 
this last will touch many of us very closely; 
“ bolting ” has become such a confirmed habit 
with the greater part of Americans, especially 
those who are busy, that we actually do not 
realize in what condition we push the food 
down. It is really almost as if we took it from 
the table and laid it into the stomach. We can¬ 
not keep this up very long without feeling the 
ill effects. Even soft foods such as potatoes and 
bread should be carefully masticated, for the 
starches are partly digested by the saliva. I re¬ 
member once hearing an old physician say, “ It is 
not so much what you eat as how you eat it.” 

Another habit almost equally pernicious is that 
of washing the food down with large quantities 
of liquid. 

Bad digestion or “ dyspepsia ” and unhealthy 
skins are often closely associated. Girls who 
are suffering from these ills in beginning their 
reform must avoid fried foods, pork, and sausage, 
new bread, hot rolls, in fact, everything doughy; 




DIGESTION AND DIET 


273 


rich salads, made dishes, pickles, many spices, 
all heavy sweet things, most desserts, especially 
the pastries, rich cakes, cheese, and much tea or 
coffee. 

Most girls are interested in the effects of 
candy eating. An authority on dietetics says 
that 1-4 of a pound of cane sugar is all that is 
allowable in 24 hours. When you subtract the 
amount of sugar that you daily consume in 
ordinary foods, very little is left to be taken as 
candy. When eaten at all it is best taken 
directly after a meal. 

Taken between meals it disturbs the diges¬ 
tion and spoils the appetite. The chief objection 
to the use of sugar is the acid fermentation that 
it causes in the stomach. When taken in excess 
by young girls it is apt to be the cause of pimples. 

The advice given to a “ dyspeptic ” by one of 
the most eminent medical men of our day, is, 
“ You can really eat almost anything without 
much injury, if you will remember to eat only one 
or two things at a meal.” 

And that reminds me of a most charming illus¬ 
tration of a modern dinner, called “ A Punch¬ 
bowl Episode,” * which I have recently read. 

A wealthy clubman consulted his physician 

*Pratt’s “The Body Beautiful.” 




274 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


for what he feared was heart trouble. Mr. L. 
was positive that his digestion was in excellent 
condition; he had never, until very recently, 
suffered the least discomfort from eating. 

As soon as the doctor had convinced himself 
of the trouble, he told his patient that he would 
be obliged to be excused just then as he had a 
very important engagement, but he hoped for the 
pleasure of Mr. L:’s company at dinner that 
night at seven. At the hour appointed the 
guest arrived, and as he and the doctor were 
chatting together in the library, his attention was 
attracted by a punch-bowd of large dimensions. 
It was beautifully chased and of antique pattern. 
As he spoke of its exquisite design, the butler 
appeared with a cocktail. He walked over to 
the table and poured the concoction into the 
punch-bowl. 

Retiring, he soon returned with half a dozen 
oysters, some horse-radish, crackers, celery, 
radishes, olives, and salted almonds, which also 
went into the bowl. A glass of wine was added 
to this mixture. Mr. L. was a little surprised, 
as he had never seen a proceeding like this be¬ 
fore, but he kept on chatting with the doctor, 
who seemed to take no notice of the performance 
of his servant. 





DIGESTION AND DIET 


275 


A tomato bisque, cheese crackers, celery, salted 
almonds, and sherry next went into the bowl. 
By this time Mr. L. was awaiting with great 
curiosity to see what would next appear. It 
was broiled bluefish, potato balls, cucumbers, 
celery, almonds, and hock. Then came roast 
chicken, French peas, olives, snow potato, currant 
jelly, bread, and champagne, all going into the 
punch-bowl, one after another. 

These were followed by lobster salad, cheese 
crackers, salted almonds, and claret. The last 
contributions to the long-suffering bowl were 
ice cream, cake, bonbons, wine, grapes, crackers 
and cheese, nuts, coffee, and creme de menthe. 
And never a word yet from the doctor. 

Mr. L. by this time felt most uncomfortable. 
As/ the butler closed the door after his last ap¬ 
pearance, the doctor led his guest over to the 
bowl and asked him to imagine the condition of 
its contents an hour later. 

It needed little comment from the wise physi¬ 
cian to convince Mr. L. how terribly he had 
been abusing his digestion for many, many years, 
for this combination of foods had been an almost 
daily offering to his stomach. 

The two men then went to the dining room 
and while they were eating a simple dinner the 




276 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


doctor gave his guest a common sense talk on the 
proper way of living. 

He gave him a list of wholesome, nutritious 
foods; he told him to drink copiously of water 
between meals; gave him directions concerning 
exercises, and deep breathing; begged him to sleep 
eight hours out of twenty-four, and to take a 
scrub bath every morning. 

Mr. L. was much impressed and went away 
with the determination to follow out the doc¬ 
tor’s advice. In a short time all suggestion 
of any so-called “ heart failure ” had disap¬ 
peared. 

Food must be properly cooked in order to 
be digestible. Cereals are apt to be served in a 
partly cooked condition. Many of them require 
several hours’ steaming. 

Milk is one of the most important of foods, 
but is not of itself a sufficent diet for a healthy 
girl. 

The active worker can digest food that the girl 
of sedentary habits cannot take care of. Meat 
once a day is sufficient for most people. Too 
much red meat from day to day means uric acid. 
The best vegetable substitutes for meat are peas, 
beans, and lentils. 

Fruits are valuable for certain vegetable acids - 




DIGESTION AND DIET 


277 


which they contain, but they are not very nutri¬ 
tious. 

Bananas are easily digested, if before eaten 
they are both peeled and scraped. This disposes 
of the indigestible part of this nutritious fruit. 
Variety of diet is of the greatest advantage. 

Alcohol is not necessary for healthy persons, 
and most people would be better without it in 
any form. 

As to tea, coffee, and cocoa, there has been 
endless discussion. Although I believe that tea 
and coffee are far better left alone, tea, when 
taken fresh , in moderate quantity and strength, 
is not injurious to most people. It is refreshing 
when one is weary. Some who cannot take tea 
can drink coffee very well. 

Coffee is in no way a food, but when it is 
taken at a meal less food is necessary, because it 
diminishes tissue waste. 

It has a clogging action, however. It hin¬ 
ders digestion, and so should be avoided by those 
with weak stomachs. Too much coffee has a de¬ 
cidedly bad effect upon the complexion. 

Cocoa and chocolate are far more desirable 
articles of food than tea and coffee. In fatiguing 
climbs or other exertion they are very sustaining. 

With all the care that you may pay to the food 




278 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


that you eat, remember that this is not the only 
element in digestion. The rules given at the first 
of this chapter must be observed; to get the best 
effect, you must be cheerful when you eat. 
Worry, or overwork, irregularity, and hurry will 
all militate against good digestion. Enjoy your 
food, when you take it, for this is one of the 
legitimate pleasures of life. 

In the chapter for the thin girl you will find 
a diet that is of general excellence for most girls 
who have not a tendency to become over-plump. 
One great fault in diet nowadays, is that we eat 
too much animal food. Such food is distinctly 
stimulating and in some cases is injurious. 

No matter what you may say upon diet you 
may be quite certain that there will be somebody 
to contradict your statement; I know of no other 
subject on which such a variety of views are held. 

Especially is this true about the drinking of 
water at meals. It is often objected that it 
dilutes the gastric juice and so hinders digestion. 
In a healthy stomach it takes but a short time for 
the excess of fluid to be absorbed. 

If the stomach is weak, however, this will not 
be the case. The greatest disadvantage I think, 
in drinking at meals, is that in this way the food 
is apt to be washed down before it is masticated. 




CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO tJ 


RELAXATION AND SLEEP 

Mid-day rest. Change of work. The nervous system. Sleep. 
Ventilation. Bedding. Insomnia, remedies for, conse¬ 
quences of. How to meet shock. 


XJ 


A GIRL wrote me the other day that she 
had both the time and the opportunity for 
half an hour’s rest at noon after her lunch¬ 
eon, and that she generally took; advantage of both 
by throwing herself into a reclining chair and tak¬ 
ing a nap for ten or fifteen minutes.. Someone had 
told her that it was not hygienic, and she was in 
a quandary, for she was afraid that she would 
develop indigestion. 

Although digestion is slower during sleep, a 
few minutes’ rest after a meal is beneficial and 
will do no harm. 

Just a word more about rest in the middle 
of the day. If you have been sitting all the 
morning,, take a walk in the open air. If you 
have been standing, recline for a few minutes if 
you can. If you have been working hard with. 
279 




28 o beauty through hygiene 


your hands, read a few minutes. If you have 
been using your brains, go for a little walk, or to 
your punching-bag. Do something to stir up 
5^our sluggishness. 

You remember the little suggestion about 
resting the eyes, by looking up from your work 
and off to the distance every half-hour or hour 
during the day. Relax your mind in the same 
way. Stop thinking of your work now and then 
and call up the memory of some beautiful sun¬ 
set that you have seen—of something broad. 
You have no idea how this will rest you and re¬ 
lieve the nervous tension. 

Stand in front of your mirror and relax your 
eyes, your mouth, and your fingers. 

Pain gives us warning of trouble in the body. 
So do restlessness, depression and irritability give 
us warning of trouble with the nerves and 
mind. 

The nervous system needs various changes. 
Monotony and over-attention are both important 
elements of fatigue. If you are able to do so 
take one afternoon in the middle of every week 
for recreation. Or take a week-end holiday. 
Take an hour in the middle of every day. Take 
a minute out of every hour to think of your 
horizon and your sunset. 




RELAXATION AND SLEEP 281 


Change of work is often as much recreation as 
play. Take up some work that you really like. 
There is nothing like having a hobby in life that 
interests you very much even if it is a card in¬ 
dex. It may be a scrapbook, a pet, or a bit of 
garden. Interest in something outside of your 
regular work will soothe and rest your nerves 
like magic. Specific exercises for relaxation 
have been given throughout the book. 

It is said, and I believe with truth, that no 
skilled workman can do his best work for more 
than eight hours a day for six days out of the 
seven. 

Have you ever watched a skilled pianist or a 
drum beater? You have noticed the many 
flourishes of the hands that are made in the 
midst of the playing. This is not affectation, 
nor is it useless. It rests and relaxes the hands 
in the midst of work, and makes them all the 
more ready to proceed. A recent writer on this 
subject puts it concisely when he says that the 
great principle of rest lies in “ concentration and 
expansion ”; muscular contraction and relaxa¬ 
tion. 

In the matter of sleep you must be your own 
judge as to the amount necessary. The gen¬ 
eral opinion, and I believe the right one, is that an 




282 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


adult requires eight hours of sleep out of the 
twenty-four.* 

In most cases, especially if you are regu¬ 
larly employed every day, nine hours will be 
better. Take eight at night and one in the 
middle of the afternoon—if you can. If you are 
not able to arrange it so, then take nine at night 
and plan as much rest as possible some time 
after your luncheon. 

You know that the heart is enabled to go on 
with its life-work because it alternates effort 
with tiny intervals of rest. This should teach 
ns a valuable lesson. No matter what our 
work is it is seldom that we cannot manage to 
secure some rest and relaxation during the day. 
Ten minutes on your back with your eyes shut 
and your mouth and your hands relaxed—all of 
the muscles connected with them—will rest you 
wonderfully. Do not work up to the minute of 
going to bed, but change the current of your 
thoughts and relax the tension for at least a few 
moments before you seek your night’s rest. 

Keep the air of your bedroom pure. Re- 

* Talmage says : “ Because Napoleon only slept three hours a 
night, hundreds of students have tried the experiment ; but instead 
of Austerlitz and Saragossa, there came of it only a sick-headache 
and a botch of a recitation. ’ ’ 




RELAXATION AND SLEEP 283 


member that you spend one-third of your life 
there. The skin is very active during the night 
and throws off much waste matter. This, as 
well as the air breathed out from the lungs, 
makes the necessity of changing the air from 
time to time very urgent. 

In sleep less carbonic acid is given off and 
more oxygen is taken in than during the day. 
More vapor and waste products are given out 
through the skin than through the lungs. 

Never cover your head with the bedclothes. 
Covers should be light but warm. 

The temperature of the sleeping room should 
not be too cold. From 55 0 to 6o° Fahrenheit 
is about the right temperature. 

Do not fill your bedroom with draperies and 
knicknacks, but have it as plain, cleanly, and 
dust-free as possible. 

The bed and bedding should be exposed to the 
sun every day. Feather pillows should be ex¬ 
cepted, as the sun is said to draw the oil out 
from the feathers. They should be exposed to 
a current of air, however. 

Two light blankets are warmer than one 
heavy one, on account of the layer of air that is 
between them. 

Bed clothing should be thoroughly dried and 




284 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


aired. Special precautions should be taken in 
traveling, and if you find the sheets damp and 
cold it is much better to slip them down and lie 
next to the blankets. Many a severe cold, with 
its consequences, would thus be avoided. 

Banish the feather bed, and sleep on a fairly 
hard mattress. Never let the light of the moon 
or the sun shine directly on your face. Never 
wear any garment at night that you have worn 
in the daytime. Air the day clothes at night and 
the night clothes during the day. 

It is well not to lie in the same position all 
night. Turn at least once from one side to the 
other. The right side is considered the pref¬ 
erable one. It is not well to lie on the back 
very long at a time. 

Do not doze all the evening, but if you are 
tired and sleepy give up to it and go to bed. If 
you find that you are tired on awakening every 
morning, it is a warning by Nature that all is 
not well. You can generally discover the cause 
if you hunt for it. 

It is not wise to go to sleep with a sensation 
of hunger. You can take any light, simple food 
if you wish—something that you like and that 
agrees with you—this is your problem to decide. 
You will do well to let tea and coffee alone. 




RELAXATION AND SLEEP 285 


Never lay plans at night for the next day’s 
work. 

Sleep in the country when you can. Get¬ 
ting accustomed to city noises uses up stores of 
nervous energy. 

Insomnia is often due to cold feet. Never go 
to bed until your feet are warm. Take some 
exercise to stir up the circulation in them such 
as has been given before. Standing on the tip 
toes is good. You can get them warm by a 
warm foot bath or by vigorous rubbing. 

Massage is very soothing to many girls, and 
does more than anything else they can try to pro¬ 
duce sound sleep. 

A warm bath is often soothing just before 
going to bed. People vary, however, in this re¬ 
spect,/ as well as in regard to exercise just before 
bedtime. Some it prepares for sleep, while 
others are disturbed by it. 

If you are troubled with sleeplessness, you 
should not work more than from four to six 
hours out of every twenty-four, and you should 
do this work in the early part of the day. 

If you are very seriously troubled with in¬ 
somnia, and are not able to overcome it, the best 
thing you can do is to take a little trip and look 
at other scenes and talk with other people for a 




286 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


few days. It will change the current of your 
life and you will come back home refreshed. 

A natural consequence of insomnia is in¬ 
creased sensitiveness. Sensitiveness is a form of 
nervous tension. Get rid of yourself. Go to 
Nature, your eyes need the broad expanse of the 
horizon, the yellow of the sand, the blue of the 
skies and sea, the green of the grass and leaves, 
the purple of the hills. 

When you have to hurry, hurry with your 
muscles—not with your nerves. 

What good does it do to hurry? What are 
we hurrying for ? “ While we live, we die,” 

and hurry does not prepare for death. 

If you have contracted the habit, you can un¬ 
learn it only by persistent effort. You must 
exercise your will power to stop it. 

We would do well to imitate the Oriental 
calm. The story is told of the Shah of Persia 
that he was asked to join a party of nobles at the 
Derby. He replied: “It is already known to 
me that one horse can run faster than another, 
and wherefore should I go to the Derby? ” He 
then returned to his prayers. 

When you find that you are becoming nervous, 
stop and take a few deep breaths—this is a won¬ 
derful way to relax tension. 




RELAXATION AND SLEEP 287 


Learn to meet a shock by stopping for a mo¬ 
ment and fixing your attention on some trivial 
object such as a hen outside in the yard. This 
will break the force of a shock and relieve ten¬ 
sion. 

Suppose, for instance, you receive a telegram. 
Before you open it, go to the window and look 
intently at some object. This advice is given 
by an English physician who has had wide ex¬ 
perience in treating nervous patients. 

Don’t sew or embroider when you are very 
tired. Such work calls for too much energy. 
Lie down in a dark, quiet room, and arrange to 
have no interruptions for a short time. 

When you have the opportunity, relax and 
rest. Y'ou can’t clear away a block on the trol- 
ley-ttack by fretting. When you have done all 
you can to attain the end you are striving for, 
await developments. 

“ Happy is the patient camel, happy is the 
humble saint; they kneel when the day is done, 
and their burden is lifted from them.” 




tJ CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE U 


CHEERFULNESS 


“ The blues.” “Biliousness.” “ Blue Monday.” Cheefulness 
and habit. Sense of humor. Effect of emotions on 
digestion. Fretfulness. “ Curve of health. ” 


HOW TO GET RID OF “ THE BLUES ” 

I T is a very common thing to hear a girl say, 
“Oh, dear! I am so ‘blue’ to-day. I 
don’t know what is the matter with me. 
Nothing special seems to have gone wrong.” 
Now, in such a case something very special has 
always gone wrong—and very wrong at that. 

This condition can almost invariably be traced 
to some physical derangement. It is often due 
to sluggishness, either cf the whole body or of 
some particular organ. We generally think of 
the liver at such times—and with much reason, 
for when this great gland is not in good run¬ 
ning order it will upset the whole system. 

The girl who is “ bilious ” is very apt to be a 
frequent victim of “ the blues.” And what 


288 




CHEERFULNESS 


289 


must she do to throw off this depression? Good 
vigorous exercise in the open air will do a great 
deal to mend matters. Practice deep breathing 
in your daily walks. This will soon become a 
habit. 

An orange eaten before breakfast, together 
with a glass of cool water, is excellent for this 
trouble. Other causes of depression are anaemia 
and chlorosis, conditions so often met with in 
growing girls. Such girls need abundance of 
sunshine and sleep, as well as plenty of nourish¬ 
ing food. Milk is useful in these troubles. 

Remember, however, that anaemia is a much- 
abused word. It is a mistake to think that all 
pale girls are anaemic. This term can be applied 
with accuracy only after a scientific examination 
of the blood has been made. 

Still other fertile causes of “ the blues ” are 
overwork and loss of sleep. The remedy for 
both of these ills is self-apparent. Do not over¬ 
tax your strength, and do not worry! Quiet 
brain work without brain worry can be carried 
on for a long time. But when interruptions oc¬ 
cur, and the mind is distracted by worry, then 
the strain begins to tell. Look on sleep not only 
as a necessity, but also as a duty. 

As there is a reason for all things, so there 




2 9 o BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


is one for “ Blue Monday.” Many girls do too 
much on Sunday. Especially those girls who 
work hard all the week, should spend a quiet, 
restful Sunday. Never sit up late Sunday night 
if you can possibly help it, for it will start you 
wrong for the rest of the week. 

If you don’t feel cheerful, stand in front of 
your mirror and look so, at least. Smile , and 
your mood will involuntarily change. Frown¬ 
ing uses up valuable energy. 

Cheerfulness is a good habit, just as worry is 
a bad habit. You can cultivate one just as 
easily as you can cultivate the other. 

When you get where you can laugh at an 
unpleasant experience the sting has gone from it. 
Cultivate the habit of looking at the bright side 
of things. 

I was reading the other day of an interview of 
a girl with her physician. She was telling him 
in a tragic manner of a nervous paroxysm which 
she had had. She had rushed to her closet, 
banged the door, and then jumped up and down, 
shrieking wildly. 

The doctor’s eyes twinkled as he said to her: 
“ My dear girl, what a pity that you don’t pos¬ 
sess a keener sense of humor. It is a wonderful 
help in this daily life of ours. If you had 




CHEERFULNESS 


291 


trained yourself to see the ludicrous side of 
things, by the time you had jumped your second 
jump in the closet, you would have been so 
amused at the contortions you were going 
through with that your nervousness would have 
passed away as suddenly as it came; for the 
hearty laugh that you would have had at your 
own ridiculous appearance would have broken 
the nervous tension and brought you relief from 
your overwrought condition.” 

The author of “ Crankisms ” says: “Laugh, 
and the world laughs with you; weep, and the 
world laughs at you.” A hearty laugh acts like 
magic. Its vibrations seem to force new life 
into the very springs of our being. 

It is an accepted fact that cheerfulness and 
pleasurable emotions have a happy influence on 
the process of digestion. The old custom of 
exciting laughter at table by jesters was founded 
on a true physiological basis. 

On the contrary, worry, anxiety, fright, or 
extreme excitement of various kinds have a 
depressing effect on digestion, not only in the 
stomach, but also in the intestines. There seems 
to be disturbance both of the circulatory and 
nervous system. Nervous dyspepsia and loss of 
weight often follow prolonged anxiety. 




292 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


As a wise man says: “If you have not slept, 
or if you have slept, or if you have headache, or 
sciatica, or leprosy, or thunder-stroke, I beseech 
you, by all angels, to hold your peace, and not 
pollute the morning, to which all the housemates 
bring serene and pleasant thoughts, by corruption 
and groans.” 

I once knew a woman who, on every bright 
Monday morning, worried for fear that the next 
Monday morning would be stormy, and that the 
laundress would be obliged to dry the clothes in 
the attic! 

You may feel that this is an exaggeration. I 
am sorry to say that it is not. It was an actual 
fact. It is, I hope, an extreme case, but it only 
shows you what you may reach yourself if you 
do not curb that wretched habit of worrying 
while you are young. 

Worry is “ Inability to withdraw attention 
from unpleasantness.” Worry is a vice. You 
can overcome it if you will. Things that trouble 
you at night will not trouble you after eight 
hours of refreshing sleep. Distract your at¬ 
tention from unpleasant thoughts. 

I recently read of “ Mr. Anstey’s ingenious 
clock.” When his experiences were agreeable 
he paid in to this imaginary dock checks which 




CHEERFULNESS 


2 93 


represented bright and cheerful half-hours. 
When seasons of depression arrived he would 
call out from his store of cheerfulness pleasant 
half-hours, and thus he helped himself along 
over the hard places in life. 

Someone has suggested that the ups and downs 
in our physical life be represented by the “ curve 
of health.” This author says that “ it is a mis¬ 
take to suppose that the normal state of health 
is represented by a straight horizontal line.” 
We are bound to have our ups and downs in our 
physical as well as in our mental lives. It is 
said that people who are cheerful are generally 
long-lived. 

Learn to control the expression of your face. 
Let it mean something. Let it be intelligent. 
Learn to guard against meaningless smiles and 
expressions. I once knew a college girl whose 
face in repose was beautiful, but she had con¬ 
tracted the habit oi assuming a smile which was 
so labored that it was more of a grimace and 
contortion than anything else. 

It spoiled her beauty, and now as I still know 
her, those same lines of habit are furrowed into 
her face. 

When you smile, mean it. Let it come from 
within, and do not assume it with the mistaken 




294 BEAUTY THROUGH HYGIENE 


idea of looking amiable. A genuine smile is a 
wonderful thing, and changes a whole counte¬ 
nance. But have you ever seen your face in a 
mirror with a smile which you had in a spell of 
absent-mindedness forgotten, till you suddenly 
caught sight of its poor, vapid remnants? How 
inane it looks! 

Another habit so easy to form and so hard to 
break is that of frowning, or scowling. I passed 
a girl on the avenue this afternoon, and her face 
was absolutely screwed up into a knot. Knots 
may be unraveled with patience, but it is not 
always so easy to smooth out the wrinkles that 
are caused by such bad habits as these. 

Cultivate repose of the muscles of the face as 
well as of other parts of the body. It is not 
vanity to study expressions, and the results are 
often a relief to our friends. Observation of 
others teaches us quite as often what to avoid 
as what to cultivate. 

Nothing so quickly affects the beauty of the 
face as one’s thoughts; so guard your thoughts, 
since they are the die which stamps your coun¬ 
tenance. 

Walk in the sunshine, and its light will be re¬ 
flected in your faces. 




u 


INDEX 


tr 




Abdomen, exercises for 
reducing, 82-84; reduc¬ 
tion of, by bag punch¬ 
ing, 60; reduction of, 
by deep breathing, 30; 
reduction of, by fenc¬ 
ing, 66 

Abdominal organs, exer¬ 
cise for stimulation of, 
108-m 

Acids, effect of mineral, 
on teeth, 236 
Agnails, 251 

Age, average, of peri¬ 
odic illness, 178 
Air bath, see Bath, air 
Alcohol, as a food, 277; 
effect of, on skin, 148; 
rub, 200; use of, on 
chilblains, 256; on face, 
I40 / ; on teeth, 234 
Alcoholic beverages, ef¬ 
fect of, on skin, 
153 

Ambidexterity, 117, 119 
American and English 
girls, comparison of, 
43, 44 

Anaemia, 289; fresh air 
in, 20 

Animals, perspiration of, 
156 

Ankles, exercise for sup¬ 
pleness of, 100-102 
“Anti-fat” remedies, 80 
Arms, exercise for de¬ 


velopment of, 97-99; 
massage of, 123 
Atmosphere, effect of, 
on corns, 253, 254 

Back, exercise for reduc¬ 
ing fat, 88 
Bag-punching, 59-61 
Baldness, 214 
Bananas as food, 277 
Basket ball, 66, 67 
Bath, air, 197-199; cabi¬ 
net, 200; cold tub, 193; 
disadvantages of tub, 
194; effect of cold, 190, 
191, 193, 194; hot, 191, 
192; tepid, 191; warm, 
191-193; effect of, on 
insomnia, 285; electric 
light, 202, 203; for ten¬ 
der feet, 257; for thin 
girl, warm, 93; Greek, 
for complexion, 140; 
mud, 197; needle, 202; 
peat, 199; pruritus, 189, 
190; Russian, 199, 200; 
salt, 195; salt, for chil¬ 
blains, 256; sand, 198; 
sea, 194, 195; shower, 
194; sun, 195-197; sun, 
for thin girl, 93; time 
limits of, 193; Turkish, 
199, 200; effect on com¬ 
plexion, 140 

Bathing, 185-203; dur¬ 
ing periodic illness. 


295 




296 


INDEX 


181-184; effects of, 187; 
temperature in rela¬ 
tion to, 186, 187, 190- 
195 

Bedclothing, effects of, 
on feet, 263 

Bedding, proper, 283, 
284 

Belladonna, pernicious 
use of, 224 
Benzoin, use of, 139 
“Biliousness,” 288, 289 
“ Black eye,” 222 
Blackhead lotion, 144 
Blackheads, treatment 
of, 144, 145 

Blanching of hair, 205- 
207 

Bleaching superfluous 
hair, 216, 217 
Blood, pure, beauty de¬ 
pendent upon, 136 
“ Blue Monday,” 290 
Body, massage of, 123, 
124 

Bowels, care of, 81, 82, 

91 

Bowling, 63 

Bread-making as exer¬ 
cise, 115 

Breath, the, 236-239; of¬ 
fensive, 237-239 
Breathing, alternate, 28; 
as a morning exercise, 
33; control of in swim¬ 
ming, 56; deep, good 
for “the blues,” 289; 
method of relaxation, 
286; nasal, 240; effects 
of deep, 11-18, 27, 30, 


31; exercise, Hindu, 28; 
suggestions for, 27-32, 
36, 37; for thin girl, 93; 
in ansemia, 20; in 
chronic catarrh, 21; in 
“ colds,” 21; in tennis, 
53; nasal, preventive 
of head colds, 240; pre¬ 
ventive of tuberculo¬ 
sis, 20 

Brush, hair, 211-213; 
tooth, 234 

Buckwheat, effect of, on 
skin, 152 
Bunions, 254, 255 
Bust, effect of deep 
breathing on, 30; ex¬ 
ercises for develop¬ 
ment of, 95-98; sup¬ 
porters, 269 

Butter, effect of, on skin, 
152 

Callosities of foot, 255 
Calves, development of, 
69; by horseback rid¬ 
ing* 59; exercise for de¬ 
velopment of, 35, 99, 
102 

Candy as food, 153; eat¬ 
ing, effects of, 273 
Canoe, advantages of, 
over rowboat, 51 
Canoeing, 49-51 
Carriage, effect of row¬ 
ing on, 47; effect of 
swimming on, 55; ex¬ 
ercise for defective, 
104, 105; graceful, 35, 
36,108; incorrect, 72,73 




INDEX 


297 


Castor oil, effects of, 81; 

in constipation, 175 
Catarrh, fresh air in, 21 
“ Catching cold,” 152 
Chair, correct, 75 
Charcoal, use of, for foul 
breath, 238 

Cheeks, massage of, 
129 

Cheerfulness, 288-294; a 
factor in digestion, 
278; a habit, 290; effect 
of, on thin girl, 90 
Cheese as food, 154 
Chest, exercises for flat, 
105,106; muscles, effect 
of bag-punching on, 
60; effect of deep 
breathing on, 30; effect 
of swimming on, 55; 
exercises for develop¬ 
ment of, 95-98 
Chilblains, 256 
Chin, exercises for re¬ 
duction of double, 87; 
massage for double, 
128 

Chocolate, 277 
Circles under eyes, dark, 
18 

Circulation, exercise for 
increasing, 36,106-108; 
of face, stimulation of, 
139, 140; symptoms of 
sluggish, 18 

Cleanliness, secret of 
beauty, 137, 138 
Climbing, effects of, 25; 
hill, 24-26; preparation 
for mountain, 24-26 


Climate suitable for thin 
girl, 90 

“ Clock, Mr. Anstey’s in¬ 
genious,” 292, 293 
Clothes-hanging as exer¬ 
cise, 118 

Clothing, 264-270; airing 
of, 266; bust supporters, 
268, 269; care of, 266; 
change of, 266; color 
of, 269; corsets, 267- 
269; evils of tight, 269, 
270; health waists, 267- 
269; hose supporters, 
267; improper, 264, 265, 
270; materials of, 265, 
266; proper, 295; round 
garter, 269 
Cocoa, 277 
Coffee, 278 

Cold cream, see Cream 
Cold, in relation to con¬ 
stipation, 173 
“ Colds,” fresh air pre¬ 
ventive against, 21 
Colic, exercise for wind, 
106-108 

Collar, effects of tight, 
116, 270 

Comb, hair, 212, 213 
Complexion, 137-154; ef¬ 
fect of constipation 
on, 177, treatment of 
florid, 148; treatment 
of oily, 148 

Constipation, 165-177; 
cause of foul breath, 
238; causes of, 165-167; 
consequences of, 173- 
175; effect of deep 




298 


INDEX 


breathing in, 30; exer¬ 
cise for, 108-m; mas¬ 
sage in, 123 
Cooking, 276 
Corns, 253, 254; soft, 254 
Corsets, 267-269 
Costume, hygienic work¬ 
ing, 115,116; mountain 
climbing, 25, 26; row¬ 
ing, 48; tennis, 53 
Cotton clothing, 266; in 
the ear, 230 

Cream, formula for cold, 
147, 148; for com¬ 

plexion, 140, 141; lip, 
232, 233 

“ Crow’s feet,” massage 
for, 127 

Curling irons, use of, 216; 
lotion, 208 

Dandruff, 213, 214 
Deep breathing, see 
Breathing 
Deformities, 113 
Deformity, due to mouth 
breathing, 240 
Dental floss, 234 
Depilatories, 217 
Diet, effect of, on teeth, 
235; errors in, 77, 78; 
in relation to constipa¬ 
tion, 167-169; in obes¬ 
ity, 78-80; the thin girl, 
89-93 

Digestion and diet, 271- 
278; effects of mental 
states on, 291; rules 
for good, 272, 273, 

278 


Dizziness, exercise for 
nervous, m-113 
“ Dog paddling,” 57 
Dress, see Costume 
Drink for climbing trip, 
26 

Drinking at meals, 79 
Drinks, 277 
Dye in clothing, 269 
Dyspepsia, relation of, 
to skin, 272, 273 

Ear, care of, 229-231; 
cotton in, 230 ; noises 
in, 230; toilet of, 229- 
231 

Earache, 230 

Eating, before sleep, 284; 

rules for, 271-273 
Egg as shampoo, 210, 
211 

Electric light bath, see 
Bath, electric light 
Electricity in relation to 
constipation, 173 
Electrolysis, 217 
Elevation of internal 
organs, 120 

English and American 
girls, comparison of, 
43, 44 

Exercise, breathing, 27- 
32, 36, 37; corrective, 
104-114; development, 
94-103; for circulation, 
36; for cold feet, 258; 
for constipation, 170- 
173 ; for eyes, 224, 225; 
for hands, 247; for 
head, 39: for healthy 




INDEX 


299 


girls, 33-42; for grace, 
37, 38; for graceful car¬ 
riage, 35, 36; for insom¬ 
nia, 18, 285; for lips, 
244, 245; for neck, 39; 
for spine, 36; for two 
girls together, 39-42; 
for waist, 36; in house¬ 
work, 114-120; in rela¬ 
tion to periodic illness, 
180, 181; kicking, 38; 
reducing, 82—88; re¬ 
laxing, 36-37; resist¬ 
ance, 38-42; tension, 
102, 103; tip-toe, 35, 36; 
torso, 38, 39 

Expression, control of 
facial, 293, 294 

“Eye, black,” 222; cup, 
220; glasses, 221; lotion, 
220 

Eyebrows, 222; care of, 
217, 218 

Eyelashes, 222; care of, 
218 

Eyes, attitude in relation 
to, 223-227; care of, 
219-227; dark spots 
before, 221; exercises 
for, 224, 225; foreign 
body in, 223; hygienic 
precautions for, 226, 
227; massage about, 
126-128; muscles of, 
221; puffiness under, 
222; rings under, 222; 
strain, 220, 221, 223, 

224; twitching of, 221 

Face, care of skin of, 


137-140; circulation of, 
stimulation of, 139; 
massage of, 125-128; 
steaming, 139; toilet of 
137-140; veils, 142, 143; 
washing of, 138, 139 
Fainting, due to corsets, 
268 

Fat girl, 77-88 
Feet, bath for tender, 
257; care of, 252-263; 
exercises for cold, 258; 
tissues of, 256, 257; 

massage of, 124; shape 
of normal, 263; wash¬ 
ing, 257 
Fencing, 65 

Figure, effect of bag- 
punching on, 59 
“Fisherman’s stroke,” 46 
Fissures of foot, 256, 257 
Flat foot, 258, 259 
Floor-scrubbing, for ele¬ 
vating internal organs, 
116, 117 

Food, effect of, on skin, 
152-154; for climbing 
trip, 26; indigestible, 
153, 272, 273; necessity 
of properly cooked,276; 
various articles of, 276, 
277 

Foot, flat, 258, 259 
Forearm, exercises for 
development of, 99 
Forehead, massage of, 
126 

Form, measurements of 
perfect, 69-71 
Freckle lotions, 141, 142 




3 °° 


INDEX 


Fretfalness, 292 
Frowning, a habit, 294 
Fruits, value of, 276, 277 

Gardening, 67, 68; in re¬ 
lation to constipation, 
171 

Garter, effects of round, 
259 

Glands, oil, see Oil glands 
Glands, sweat, see Sweat 
glands 

Gloves, proper, 250; rub¬ 
ber, 249; use of at 
night, 249, 250 
Glycerine, for complex¬ 
ion, 141, 142 

Glycerite of starch for 
dry skin, 164 
Golf, 43-45 
“Goose-flesh,” 135 
Grace, development of, 
by bag-punching, 59, 
.60; by fencing, 65; by 
rowing, 46, 49; by skat¬ 
ing, 63; exercise for, 
37 , 38 

Greek bath, see Bath, 
Greek 

Gums, wash for reced¬ 
ing, 238 

Hair, arrangement of, 
214, 215; blanching of, 
205-207; brushing, 215, 
216; care of, 204-218; 
color of, 204-207; comb¬ 
ing, 215, 216; curly, 
207, 208; lotion for curl¬ 
ing, 208; rate of growth, 


204; shampoo, 211; 
shampooing, 208-210; 
singeing of, 215; 
straight, 207; structure 
of, 205; superfluous, 
216, 217; tonic, 40 
Hairpins, 212 
Hairs, in the nose, 218; 

number of, 204 
Hand ball, 66 
Hare and Hounds, 64 
Hat pins, 212 
Hands, care of, 246-252; 
chapped, 249, 250; ex¬ 
ercises for, 247; ill- 
treatment of, 246, 247; 
removal of odors from, 
249; removal of stains 
from, 249; washing, 
248 

Hangnails, see Agnails 
Headache, effect of cas¬ 
tor oil in, 175; deep 
breathing in, 30; mas¬ 
sage in, 122 
Head exercise, 39 
“ Health, curve of,” 293 
Heels, proper, 260, 262; 

rubber, 262 
Height, ideal, 69 
“Hewing ” exercise, 108, 
109 

Hill climbing, 24-26 
Hips, exercises for de¬ 
velopment of, 100, 101; 
reduction of, 84-86; re¬ 
duction of, by fencing. 
66 

Hobby, value of a, 28? 
Hockey, 64, 65 




INDEX 


301 


Holiday, summer, 21-24; 

week-end, 21, 22 
Horseback riding, 57-59 
Hose supporters, 267 
Humor, sense of, 290, 291 
Hurry, evils of, 286 
Hydrogen peroxide, use 
of, on teeth, 234 

Indigestion, exercise for, 

113 

Ingrowing nails, 255, 256 
Insomnia, change of 
scene for, 285, 286; 

consequences of, 286; 
effect of exercise on, 
18; exercise for, 285; 
how to avoid, 284-286; 
massage for, 285; warm 
bath for, 285 
Iron, effect of, on teeth, 
236 

Ironing board, proper 
height of, 119 

Jaw ^trouble cured by 
massage, 122 

Kicking exercise, 38 
King’s touch for scrofula, 
21 

Knees, effects of cross¬ 
ing, 75 

Lawn tennis, 51-53 
Legs, exercise for devel¬ 
opment of, 99-102; mas¬ 
sage of, 124 

Lemon juice for com¬ 
plexion, 141, 142 


Lights, different kinds 
of, 225, 226 

Lime water, use of, on 
teeth, 235 

Linen clothing, 266 

Lip cream, 232, 233; ex¬ 
ercises, 244, 245 

Lips, care of, 232, 233 

Liver, cause of “ the 
blues,” 288 

“Liver squeezer,” 111 

Lobsters, effect of, on 
skin, 152 

Longevity, digestion in 
relation to, 271, 272; 
means of attaining, 
19-27 

Lotion, blackhead, 144; 
eye, 220; freckle, 141, 
142; pimple, 144; for 
corns, 254; for curling 
hair, 208; for excessive 
perspiration, 159, 160, 
163, 164; for moth 

patches, 145; for oily 
hair, 210; for red nose, 
147; for warts, 146 

Lotions, application of 
face, 143, 144 

Lunch for walking trip, 
22 

Lungs, capacity of, 268; 
affected by corsets, 
268; expansion of, in 
hockey, 65 

Lying position, correct, 
75 , 76 

Magnesia, milk of, on 
teeth, 234, 235 






3°2 


INDEX 


Manicure set, 251, 252 
Manicuring, 251, 252 
Martin Luther’s motto, 
22 

Massage, 121-130; bene¬ 
fits of, 124, 125; for 
constipation, 123, 171, 
172; for headache, 122; 
insomnia, 285; for thin 
girl, 93 

Massage, self, 123, 124; 

use of, 121-123 
Mastication, necessity of 
thorough, 170, 272 
Meal, use of, for the 
hands, 248 

Meals, necessity for reg¬ 
ularity of, 272 
Meat, effects of, 276 
Medicines, effect of, on 
teeth, 236 

Mid-day rest, 279, 280 
Milk as food, 276, 289; 
bath for complexion, 
142 

Mind, effect of bag- 
punching on, 60; effect 
of constipation on, 173, 
174; effect of fenc¬ 
ing on, 66; effect of 
gardening on, 68; 
effect of hockey on, 65; 
in relation to consti¬ 
pation, 166, 167 
Myrrh, use of, in fissures, 
257 

Moles, 145, 146 
Moltke’s rules of life, 
21 

Moth patches, 145 


Mountain trip, prepara¬ 
tion for, 24-26 

Mouth, care of, 232-240 

Mouth breathing, 239, 
240; cause of foul 
breath, 238; wash, 234, 
238, 239 

Mud bath, see Bath, mud 

Muscles, repose of facial, 
294; skin, 150, 151 

Nails, care of, 250-252; 
brittle, 251; toe, 255; 
ingrowing, 255, 256, 

white spots on, 250; 

251 

“ Nature’s corsets,” 267 

Neck, development of, 
by bag-punching, 60; 
exercise for develop¬ 
ment of, 94, 95; ex¬ 
ercise, 39; massage of, 
123, 128 

Needle bath, see Bath, 
needle 

Nervousness, breathing 
in, 18 

Nervous system, the, 280, 
281 

Noises in the ear, 230 

Nose, blowing, 229; care 
of, 228, 229; lotion for 
red, 147; shaping, 228; 
toilet of, 228, 229 

Nuts as food, 154 

Obesity, 77-88; directions 
for reduction of, 80-82; 
effect of bag-punching 
on, 59; effect of gar- 




INDEX 


3°3 


dening on, 67; effect of 
massage on, 125; effect 
of rowing on, 47 
Odor, nasal, 236; re¬ 
moval of, from hands, 
249 

Oil glands, 157; rub, 202; 

rub for complexion, 140 
Ointment for chilblains, 
256 

Olive oil for complexion, 
140, 141 

Oranges, as food, 289 
Orris root, 235 
Orthopedics, 113 

Paddling, effects of, 49 
Papillae, skin, 135 
Peat bath, see Bath, peat 
Periodic illness, the, 178- 
184; bathing during, 
181-184 i climatic con¬ 
ditions in relation to, 
179; duration of, 178; 
exercise in relation to, 
180, 181; symptoms of, 
179, 180 

Perspiration, 155-164; 
amount of, in 24 hours, 
134, 152; colored, 162, 
163; effects of atmos¬ 
phere on, 156; exces¬ 
sive, 157-160, 163, 164; 
of feet, 160, 163; reme¬ 
dies for, 159, 160, 163, 
164; insensible, 151,152, 
156; malodorous, 159- 
161; of animals, 156 
Pigment of skin, 133 
Pimple lotion, 144 


Poise, 69-76 

Poising exercise for 
graceful carriage, 35, 
36 

Pores, average number 
of, 151 

Pork-eating in relation 
to skin, 153 

Posture, effects of incor¬ 
rect, 75; faulty, cause 
of constipation, 166; in 
lying, 284; in paddling, 
49 . 50 

Powder, dusting, 190; ef¬ 
fects of washing, 188, 
189; face, 141; for ex¬ 
cessive perspiration, 
163,164; for hands, 248; 
tooth, 235 

Precipitated chalk, use 
of, on teeth, 233 

Pruritus, bath, 189, 190 

Puffiness under eyes, 
222; massage for, 127 

Pumice stone, use of, on 
teeth, 234 

“Punch-bowl” episode, 
273-276 

Punching bag, 57-61 

Ouince-seed decoction, 
208 

“Rats,” use of, 216 

Reading, hygienic pre¬ 
cautions in, 226, 227V 
lying down, 227 

Relaxation and sleep, 
279-287; for thin girl,., 
93 




3°4 


INDEX 


Relaxing exercise, 36, 37 
Respiration through 
skin, 134 

Resistance exercises, 38- 
42 

Rest after eating, 279; 

mid-day, 279, 280 
Restlessness of hands, 
247 

Rings under eyes, 222 
Rolling-over exercise, 
106-108 

Rowing, 46-49 
Rubber gloves, use of, 
249 

Rubbers, use of, 263 
Run, morning, 33, 34 
Russian bath, see Bath, 
Russian 

Saddle, see Side-saddle 
Salt bath, see Bath, salt 
Salt, use of on teeth, 235 
Sand bath,see Bath,sand 
Scalp-massage, 129, 130 
Scars, 147 

Schoolroom faults, 75 
Sea bathing, 194, 195 
Sedentary life, effects of, 
16-18 

Sensitiveness, a conse¬ 
quence of insomnia, 
286 

Shampoo, 211; dry, 211 
Shampooing hair, 
method of, 208-210 
Shell fish, effect of, on 
skin,152 

Shock, how to meet, 287 
Shoes, care * of, 261, 


262; effects of light, 
262, 263; for climbing, 
26; effects of high- 
heeled, 262; proper, 
260-263; shape of 
proper, 263 

Shoulders, effect of 
swimming on round, 
55; exercises for round, 
36, 108; uneven, 105, 
106 

Side saddle versus man’s 
saddle, 57-59 
Sight, things hurtful to, 
227 

Singeing the hair, 215 
Sitting position, correct, 
73-75 

Skating, 63, 64 
Skeeing, 63, 64 
Skin, area of, 134; beauty 
dependent upon health 
of, 135, 136, capilla¬ 
ries, 134; care of, 131- 
136; diseases, causes 
of, 149; dry, 164; effect 
of food on, 15 2-154; 
functions of, 131 
“ Skin heart,” 134; mus¬ 
cles, 134, 135, 150, 151: 
pigment, 133; structure 
of, 131-134 
Skirt, hanging of, 267 
Sleep, 281-284; for thin 
girl, 89-91 

Sluggish circulation, 
symptoms of, 18 
Sluggishness, effect of 
golf on, 45; effect of 
horseback riding on, 57 




INDEX 


3°5 


Smile, value of a, 293, 
294 

Soap for dry hair, 214; 

use of, 187, 188 
Soft corns, 254 
Soups, hot, effect of, on 
skin, 153 

Speech, faults of, 243; 

purity of, 243, 244 
Spices, uses of, 153 
Spine, curvature of, 113; 
exercise for strength¬ 
ening, 36 

Splay foot, see Flat foot 
Sponge, objections to 
use of, 139 
Sports, 43-68 
Stains, removal of, from 
hands, 249 

Standing position, cor¬ 
rect, 71, 72 

Starches, necessity for 
cooking, 153 
Steaming, face, 139 
Ster/ilization of brush 
and comb, 212, 213 
Stockings, proper, 259, 
260 

Strawberries, effect of, 
on skin, 152 
Striking bag, 59, 61 
Strolling clubs, 62 
Sugar, effect of, on skin, 

152, 153 

Sun bath, see Bath, 
sun 

Sweat glands, 155; tub¬ 
ing, length of, 155 
Sweating, value of, 
200-202 


Sweeping, as exercise, 
120 

Swimming, 55-57; cau¬ 
tions in, 57 

Tartar, 235; cause of foul 
breath, 238 
Tea, 277 

Teeth, care of, 233-236 
Temperature in relation 
to bathing, 186, 187, 

190-195; hands, 248; 
teeth, 235; of bedroom, 
283 

Tennis, preparation for, 
52 

Tension exercises, 102, 
103 

Tether tennis, 53-55; ad¬ 
vantages of, over old- 
fashioned tennis, 54,55 
“ The Blues,” 288-290 
Thigh, exercise for de¬ 
velopment of, 99-101 
Thin girl, the, 89-103 
Thoughts, effects of, on 
face,294 

Tights, equestrienne, 267 
Tip-toe exercise, 35, 36 
Toboganning, 63, 64 
Tomatoes, effect of, on 
skin, 152 

Tongue, toilet, of, 236 
Tooth, brush, 234; pick, 
234; powder, 235 
Torso movements, 38, 39 
Trunk twisting, 38, 39, 
41,109,113; in bowling, 
63; in hockey, 65; in 
paddling, 40 




3 o 6 


INDEX 


Tuberculosis, fresh air 
in, 20 

Turkish bath, see Bath, 
Turkish 

Union suit, 266 

Vedanta philosophy, 15, 
16 

Vegetable substitute for 
meat, 276 

Veils, face, 142, 143; use 
of, 227 

Ventilation, 282, 383 

Voice, the, 240-245 

Waist, effect of bag- 
punching on, 60; exer¬ 
cise for development 
of, 101, 102; lengthen¬ 
ing, 36; reduction of, 
86, 87; health, 267-269; 
ideal, 69 

Walking, 19-26; down¬ 
stairs, 104, 105; effects 
of, 19, 22-25; in house¬ 


hold work, 119, 120; in 
relation to constipa¬ 
tion, 171; proper pos¬ 
ture in, 23; trip, lunch 
for, 22; upstairs, 104 
Warts, 146 

Washing the feet, 257 
Wash, mouth, 238, 239; 
tub, position at, 117, 
118 

Water-drinking at meals, 
278; effect of, on skin, 
154; in relation to con¬ 
stipation, 169, 170 
Weight, directions for in¬ 
creasing, 89-93; ideal, 
70 

Window-raising as exer¬ 
cise, 120; shades, colors 
of, 226 

Woolen clothing, advan¬ 
tages of, 265 

Work, change of, 279-281 
Worry, 287, 289-292 
Wrinkles, causes of, 149, 
150 




/' 





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( 






















APR 4 1913 








